EV Manufacturer to Move HQ to Orange County

The facility at 12821 Knott St. Image courtesy of Savills

Electric vehicle manufacturer Harbinger Motors Inc., has signed a multi-year lease with Rexford Industrial to move its headquarters to the Central Industrial District in Garden Grove, Calif., and advance its vehicle and component development programs.

Rexford Industrial is repositioning the existing 120,000-square-foot Class A building at 12821 Knott St. and adding 45,171 square feet of improvements. Harbinger is planning an additional 20,000 square feet of upgrades at the 1971-built asset. Savills Corporate Managing Director Zane Keith will oversee project management for the buildout.

Last upgraded in 2021, the single-tenant building currently has 20 dock-high loading positions and 24-foot clear height. The property has convenient access to State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, and the Interstate 405.

Harbinger’s current headquarters is at 15700 S. Figueroa St. in Gardena, Calif., but the company plans to phase into the Garden Grove building over the coming months and fully occupy it by November.

READ ALSO: The Long Road to Accommodating EVs

The Harbinger Motors team outside the 12821 Knott St. facility. Image courtesy of Savills

The relocation will quintuple its physical footprint and enable the company to significantly scale its headcount and development activities. Harbinger’s goal is to put its medium-duty EVs on the road next year.

In addition to serving as Harbinger’s new headquarters, the new facility will also be used for research and development, chassis assembly and battery pack manufacturing. The company’s initial product line consists of an electric stripped chassis and cab chassis designed to meet the rigorous performance, durability and lifespan requirements of Class 4 to Class 6 specialty and commercial vehicles.

Savills oversaw the real estate strategy for Harbinger. Calling the company a disruptor in the EV industry, Savills Vice Chairman Taylor Wood said in prepared remarks the Garden Grove property checked all the boxes for Harbinger, noting it was recently repositioned with additional electrical power capacity.

EV industry is booming

The electric vehicle industry is growing in the U.S., aided by government incentives and competition. The Biden administration supports climate-friendly technology and approved the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers incentives to EV manufacturers and tax credits for those who buy American-made EVs.

Tesla leads the pack but automakers including Ford are also investing heavily in the U.S. to take advantage of the EV production incentives. Other major manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes have announced billion-dollar investments in battery and EV production plans in Alabama and South Carolina.

Last month, General Motors and Samsung SDI announced they were investing $3 billion to build an EV battery cell plant in New Carlisle, Ind., to supply GM’s expanding electric vehicle production needs. Other companies planning EV battery plants around the country include LG Energy Solutions and Hyundai Motor Group, which partnered for a $4.3 billion battery production facility near Savannah, Ga., in early May. LGES is also building a $3.5 billion facility in Fayette County, Ohio, with Honda, and a $5.5 billion battery manufacturing complex near Phoenix.