Is medium duty the perfect segment for electrification?

Conversations around electrification often centre on light passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks, but what about medium duty? In 2024, approximately 22,000 medium-duty electric vehicles (MDEVs) were sold globally, according to IDTechEx. It remains an internal combustion engine (ICE) dominated market, although electric sales are forecast to exceed 650,000 units (+2,854.5%) by 2045, including both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell models.

For now, the segment is wide open for early pioneers. “There’s basically no competition today,” states John Harris, Chief Executive of Harbinger Motors. “Medium duty represents a rare instance in which incumbent OEMs aren’t really making any effort; these vehicles are usually an afterthought.” Consequently, this lack of attention has led to swathes of outdated technology and poor value for money.

However, Harbinger is striving to turn the market around with a first-of-its-kind, vertically integrated EV platform that combines a new architecture with innovative e-axle and battery pack technology. Importantly, it believes that MDEVs are compelling products beyond the regulatory and environmental factors driving e-mobility elsewhere. “Electrification already makes sense for the medium-duty segment,” claims Harris. “The usual hesitations around range anxiety don’t typically exist in the medium-duty market, as it tends to focus on last-mile routes. The use case allows for trucks to charge overnight, and they do not require multiple shifts.”

Resurrecting a ‘dead axle’

According to Harris, most of the medium-duty vehicles on sale in North America today were designed in the 1980s and use solid steer axles and leaf springs at the front end. “That’s crazy—those were outdated even in 1960. Driving these vehicles can be very unpleasant.” This gave Harbinger a wide canvas for innovation in its own products. “Our goal wasn’t strictly to design the best MDEV; it was to design the best medium-duty vehicle, period. It just happens to be electric,” he says.

When creating a MDEV, many OEMs opt to remove the prop shaft and install a large electric motor. This solution results in undesirable unsprung mass and is both heavy and expensive due to the quantity of copper and magnets used. “So many electrification efforts throw away the lessons of the past and don’t learn from them,” asserts Harris. Instead, Harbinger’s e-axle is based on a resurrected ‘de Dion’ architecture originally developed for lightweight racing cars 100 years ago.

Called a ‘dead axle’ because it does not transmit power to the wheels, a de Dion design would have been too fragile for heavy vehicles without modern advances in metallurgy. Harris explains that Harbinger’s component is forged from a single piece of “super strong” 900MPa steel. Torque is carried by articulated plunging half shafts, enabling the drive unit to be mounted to the chassis, isolating vibrations and reducing unsprung mass. Overall, Harbinger can replace an entire ICE transmission and differential with a compact e-axle that weighs 50% less and delivers 440hp.

Thinking holistically

Harris states that Harbinger’s innovations are possible because it reappraises entire vehicle systems instead of improving them piecemeal. This far-reaching perspective also applies to the chassis and battery.

The company’s chassis architecture is scalable and can support a wide range of popular medium-duty body shapes, such as commercial walk-in vans and box trucks. Tight integration of the frame and powertrain produce a low floor height, while steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems are not only adjustable to the driver but also futureproof for advances in automated and autonomous driving. Commercial vehicles are commonly cited as a viable early use case for deploying SAE Level 4 systems.

“Our battery is less a revolutionary new approach and more an optimised execution,” says Harris. Harbinger’s in-house team includes former staff from Tesla, Rivian, Toyota, and Volvo Trucks. The result of its seven generations of EV battery tech experience was an 800 VDC, liquid-cooled, nickel-rich lithium-ion battery that is scalable in 35kW increments. He adds that the unit’s overall weight is also 50% lighter than industry standard. “Nickel batteries have gained a mixed reputation due to some of the low-quality examples on the market. But if the best quality cells are used in a well-designed unit, we don’t believe there are any safety risks that can’t be managed.”

Harbinger’s battery also accounts for the daily realities of owning MDEV fleets. “Medium-duty vehicles generally operate during specific portions of the day. In an overwhelming number of cases, they sit idle for 12-14 hours a day.” This interval enables fleet operators to recharge slowly but effectively using Level 2 AC charge points. Harris notes that these can cost only US$500-1,000 apiece, with minimal associated installation expense. “That makes savings per vehicle easier to realise, as customers aren’t constantly trying to dig themselves out of a hole of infrastructure costs.”

Addressing the opportunity

At the time of writing, Harbinger has an order book of around 5,000 units, with prominent clients including Bimbo Bakeries USA and Thor Industries. With what it considers a winning electric power/drivetrain formula in place, the company is continually seeking to improve its margins in a bid to crystallise the performance and financial benefits of MDEVs. In January 2025, its Series B round injected US$100m of funds, which Harris states will be invested in tooling for high-volume production and in-vehicle automation technologies.

Harbinger is focused on where electrification makes sense economically and logistically today

The future of electrification in the US is an increasingly open question, with many of the Biden Administration’s pro-EV incentives likely to end. However, Harris doesn’t believe this is inherently detrimental to his company’s goal: “The industry needs to build EVs that are desirable—both technologically and in terms of cost—regardless of whether emissions reduction is considered important.” In March, Harbinger put its money where its mouth is by offering ‘Inflation Reduction Act Risk-Free Guarantees’ to customers. These agreements will keep its pricing on par with comparable diesel vehicles regardless of whether federal subsidy schemes are wound down. Harris adds that vertical integration also shields the company from tariff-based market volatility.

In contrast to the viewpoint of some other commentators, he tells Automotive World that the industry “shouldn’t expect EVs to be everywhere.” By pushing this technology into segments before it’s ready to compete with established products, OEMs may end up disappointing and discouraging the market. “Harbinger is focused on where electrification makes sense economically and logistically today. As we see it, 80% of medium-duty vehicles are primed to become EVs, so we don’t need to twist peoples’ arms to address the opportunity.”