In order to power everything from a delivery truck to an electric recreational vehicle, Harbinger has been working on establishing a commercial-grade EV powertrain for the past several years. In March, the company delivered the first one to Thor for use in an electric RV. However, Thor mentioned the notion of a hybrid alternative a few months ago, according to John Harris, CEO of Harbinger, in an interview with TechCrunch.

After spending some time studying it and discussing it with them, Harris explains, "we came to the conclusion that, actually, given how they use the vehicle, this is a way better solution for Thor."

This is so because a gasoline engine paired with an electric powertrain is not what is meant to be considered a "hybrid" in this context. All Harbinger is doing is hooking up a little gas generator to supply power to the 140 kWh battery pack. This implies that an owner might be able to go farther in an RV before needing to stop and recharge. They won't have to hike to an EV charger, so they can camp for longer.

Although Thor claims that RVs built on the hybrid platform "will be commercially available in 2025" across its many sub-brands, the vehicle that was unveiled on Monday is only a test vehicle at this time.

Harbinger's strategy is known as a "series hybrid," and it's not very common. The only contemporary versions are luxury vehicles like the ill-fated Fisker Karma and the BMW i3 with a longer range. Though automakers are reluctant to carry out their idealistic intentions to switch to all-electric vehicles, Stellantis brand Ram has already embraced the concept with the upcoming Ramcharger pickup truck.

Harris believes the change of direction was technically straightforward for Harbinger. The EV drivetrain was engineered by the firm to be extremely modular. It is available in a single size, however the quantity of battery modules can vary according on the needs of the buyer. He claims that in this instance, the business is merely placing the fuel tank and gas generator in the location where the final battery modules would normally go.

In response to a question about why it took so long to try anything similar, Harris believes that comparable ideas may have been stifled by the quick rush for electrification.

"I believe that a purity test is often necessary to determine the proper answer when it comes to powertrain, fuel, and transportation," he states. "People want to know what the solution is to [electrification]." They say things like, "Well, you're not committed to the true cause and you're not virtuously aligned with our goals here," if you don't respond in the way that is expected of you. And it just isn't the right strategy.