Harbinger, an American-made medium-duty electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturer, announced that it has acquired autonomous driving company Phantom AI and secured a licensing agreement with ZF Group’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit for passenger cars. The transaction establishes a new software services revenue stream for Harbinger while expanding its advanced driver assistance capabilities across both commercial and passenger vehicle markets.
Under the agreement, ZF will license Phantom AI’s computer vision technology for its passenger car ADAS products. At the same time, Harbinger will integrate Phantom AI’s computer vision into its own medium-duty electric and hybrid vehicles beginning in 2026. Planned features include emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane keeping, addressing longstanding fleet demand for enhanced safety systems in medium-duty vehicles.
Phantom AI was co-founded by former Tesla ADAS engineer Hyunggi Cho and former Hyundai driver-assistance and autonomous-driving engineer Chan Kyu Lee. The company has developed cost-effective Level 2 autonomous driving solutions focused on reducing everyday driving burdens and improving road safety. Its approach emphasizes democratizing safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking and emergency lane support before advancing to higher levels of autonomy.
Harbinger completed the acquisition of Phantom AI in November 2025. Atlanticus Advisors LLC served as financial advisor to Phantom AI in the transaction. Phantom AI’s 30-person team will continue operating from Mountain View, California.
The collaboration with ZF strengthens the German mobility supplier’s passenger car ADAS portfolio while creating a pathway for more advanced autonomous driving capabilities in the future. ZF supplies mobility products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and industrial applications, and reported €41.4 billion in sales in fiscal 2024, operating 161 production locations across 30 countries.
Harbinger designs its vehicles from the ground up to be electric and purpose-built for the medium-duty segment. Its platform is priced at acquisition parity with traditional diesel vehicles and incorporates proprietary in-house vehicle technologies. Prior to the Phantom AI integration, Harbinger trucks already included modern ADAS features such as backup cameras with dynamic trajectory, virtual bumpers, and acoustic vehicle alerting systems. The addition of Phantom AI’s computer vision expands the company’s safety and autonomy offerings while supporting fleet operators seeking operational cost savings without high upfront electric vehicle costs.
KEY QUOTES
“Our acquisition of Phantom AI and partnership with ZF are pivotal milestones for Harbinger as we expand beyond commercial vehicles and enter new segments for the first time. We are combining Phantom AI’s computer vision with ZF’s global reach and leadership in automotive systems to unlock an entirely new revenue stream of software services and autonomy. At the same time, we are incorporating even more advanced driver assistance and safety features into our medium-duty vehicles, which is something our large Fortune 500 customers have been asking for.”
John Harris, Co-Founder And CEO, Harbinger
“Licensing Phantom AI’s computer vision will help strengthen ZF’s passenger car ADAS portfolio. This collaboration allows ZF to provide a broader selection of products and options at different values to our customers today while creating a path for future autonomous driving capabilities.”
Christopher Ludwig, Vice President Of Procurement For ZF’s Electronics & ADAS Division
“Thanks to this acquisition, we are able to deliver a more comprehensive, technology-forward solution that includes robust ADAS capabilities and telematics to the medium-duty vehicle segment and beyond. While these features are already expected in passenger vehicles, medium-duty fleets have historically been underserved.”
Dr. Hyunggi Cho, Co-Founder And CEO, Phantom AI
