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Scout Motors

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Scout Motors Inc.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedMay 11, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-11)
Headquarters,
United States
Area served
United States, Canada
Key people
Scott Keogh (CEO)
ProductsElectric vehicles
OwnerVolkswagen Group
Websitescoutmotors.com

Scout Motors Inc. is an American automotive company. It is owned by German manufacturer Volkswagen Group, which obtained the Scout brand after acquiring American truck manufacturer Navistar International in 2021.

Scout Motors was established in May 2022 to produce off-road capable electric vehicles.[2] It is an entirely US-based operation and acts as an independent company, managed separately from Volkswagen with its own executive team.[3][4] The headquarters is located in Tysons, Virginia.[1][5]

History

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The Scout marque is named after the off-road vehicle International Scout, produced from 1961 to 1980. Volkswagen has owned the Scout trademark since 2020 through its American truck subsidiary Navistar International.[6][7]

On May 11, 2022, Volkswagen AG announced the creation of a new brand, Scout, dedicated to electric vehicles, designed, developed, manufactured and marketed in the United States.[8][9] Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen USA, became the first CEO of Scout Motors.[10]

On October 24, 2024, Scout announced it will sell directly to customers and service vehicles itself, following the model adopted by competitors Tesla, Rivian and Polestar, rather than use the Volkswagen dealer network. The National Automobile Dealers Association responded that it will challenge this decision using legal and political means.[11][12]

Locations

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Factory

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On March 3, 2023, Scout Motors announced plans to build a $2 billion factory capable of producing 200,000 EVs a year in Blythewood, South Carolina.[13] The factory will employ up to 4,000 people[14] and it will manufacture the Scout Motor's first two vehicles: a mid-size off-road focused SUV and a pickup truck that are scheduled to be launched in late 2027.[15]

R&D

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Scout Motors' announced in December 2023 that it would open its first R&D facility sometime in 2024. Scout selected Novi, Michigan as the site of the new facility. Scout Motors indicated that it expects to employ roughly 200 people once the R&D facility becomes operational.[16][17]

Models

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Scout Motors debuted two concepts on October 24, 2024, one of which is the Terra, a pickup truck, and the other is the Traveler, an SUV. They are expected to release in late 2027 as a 2028 model.[18] Reservations are currently available in the United States and Canada. [19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tysons-based 'Scout' to make electric vehicles in South Carolina". 6 March 2023.
  2. ^ Henckaerts, Arnaud (12 May 2022). "Volkswagen lance une nouvelle marque aux États-Unis : Scout". Vroom.
  3. ^ Shepardson, David (19 July 2022). "Volkswagen says top U.S. Executive to run new Scout company". Reuters.
  4. ^ "VW confirms revived Scout will be independently run brand selling EV trucks". 11 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Scout Motors selects South Carolina for production site". Scout Motors Inc. 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  6. ^ Ferrière, Florent (12 May 2022). "Volkswagen va relancer la marque Scout avec un pick-up électrique". Caradisiac.
  7. ^ Naughton, Keith (2023-03-20). "VW Says There's Never Been a Better Time to Build an EV Factory in the US". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  8. ^ Doche, Audric (12 May 2022). "Volkswagen va lancer un 4x4 et un pick-up électriques !". L'Automobile Magazine.
  9. ^ Golson, Daniel (May 11, 2022). "Volkswagen Revives International Scout as US-Built EV Truck and SUV". CNET.
  10. ^ Trop, Jaclyn (2022-07-20). "Volkswagen's US CEO steps down to lead its Scout EV brand". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  11. ^ "Auto dealer groups to challenge Scout Motors' decision to sell directly to consumers". CNBC News. Reuters. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  12. ^ George, Patrick (25 October 2024). "Why Scout Motors Said No To Dealers, And Why They're Already Mad". Inside EVs. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  13. ^ Stevens, Tim (2023-03-03). "VW-backed Scout Motors to build $2B factory in South Carolina". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  14. ^ Trainor, Chris (2023-03-07). "The Scout electric vehicle plant in the Midlands will hire 4K workers. Where will they come from?". The State. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  15. ^ Stevens, Tim (2023-03-03). "How Scout Motors plans to bring rugged, retro cred to the EV era". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  16. ^ "High-Paying, High-tech Jobs Coming to Novi". Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  17. ^ White, Emmet (2023-12-15). "Scout Looks North in Building Its New Vehicle R&D Facility". Autoweek. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  18. ^ Miller, Caleb (2024-10-24). "2028 Scout Traveler SUV and Terra Pickup Have Retro Charm, Range Options". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  19. ^ "In which countries are reservations currently available? | Scout Support". support.scoutmotors.com. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
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