A major vote of confidence has landed in the US electric commercial vehicle market. Harbinger, a Los Angeles-based EV startup, has closed a hefty $160 million funding round as it prepares to build more than 50 electric truck chassis for FedEx before the end of the year. The deal positions the company as a fast-emerging player in the push to electrify last-mile and heavy-duty delivery fleets across the country.

The investment arrives at a moment when logistics giants are under increasing pressure to cut emissions, modernise fleets, and respond to regulatory deadlines. FedEx, which has pledged to fully electrify its pickup and delivery fleet by 2040, is looking for scalable suppliers that can deliver commercial-grade EV platforms on tight timelines. Harbinger’s technology, built around proprietary drive systems and battery configurations engineered for frequent-stop delivery routes, is aimed directly at that gap.

For Harbinger, the raise is more than financial fuel. It gives the startup the runway to accelerate manufacturing capacity at its Los Angeles facility, expand engineering teams, and validate its chassis in real-world commercial operations. The company says its architecture is designed to be modular, allowing partners like FedEx to integrate different body types and payload configurations without redesigning the underlying electrified platform.

Startups in the commercial EV space have had a turbulent run, with several high-profile failures and cash burn in the race to scale. What sets Harbinger apart is its focus on the less glamorous but critically important mid-duty delivery segment, where electrification remains far behind passenger EV adoption. If Harbinger can deliver on its FedEx commitments at scale, it could become one of the sector’s most credible newcomers.

For FedEx, the partnership adds momentum to an electrification strategy that still faces steep challenges, from grid constraints to fleet replacement costs. Early deployment of Harbinger chassis will help FedEx test performance under demanding urban delivery conditions, a key step before broader nationwide rollout.

As corporate logistics, emissions targets, and EV technology continue to collide, both companies see 2025 as a pivotal year. And while electrification of delivery fleets is far from solved, Harbinger’s new backing signals growing confidence that the next phase of the transition will be powered by specialised EV manufacturers rather than legacy players alone.