Scout Motors, the Volkswagen Group spinoff, unveiled Thursday two EVs it hopes will hook American customers with modern-meets-rugged styling that downplays digital and embraces the mechanical.
The catch? The company will also offer variants to its all-electric Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra Truck that will come equipped with a built-in gas-powered generator using a system called Harvester — a nod to the brand’s roots with the International Harvester Scout from the 1960s.
If the idea of electric-meets-gas-generator sounds familiar, it is. Stellantis brand Ram unveiled last year the Ramcharger, a battery electric truck equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine and on-board 130 kilowatt generator that, when combined, promises a targeted range of 690 miles.
The Scout EVs — a truck and an SUV — won’t arrive until 2027. The new brand that launched two years ago was initially slated to produce the vehicles in 2026. When they do finally go into production, the vehicles will have a body-on-frame chassis, solid rear axle, and front and rear mechanical lockers as well as a powertrain that will deliver 1,000 pound-feet of torque and a zero to 60 mph acceleration of 3.5 seconds (in certain trims).
Those specific automotive details are foundational to what Scout hopes will resonate with buyers: new tech-forward EVs with off-road and on-road performance that also delivers nostalgia and memories of real buttons and switches. And while there are in fact buttons inside the vehicles, there is also a central touchscreen.
Scout Motors president and CEO Scott Keogh, who kicked off the reveal, seemed keenly aware of the challenges facing the auto industry, not to mention this new brand that was named after the iconic International Harvester Scout that came to market in the early 1960s.
“These, without a doubt, are complicated times,” he said at an event that was livestreamed. “Industries are facing labor tensions, unease about the shift to EVS, infrastructure, geopolitical uncertainty, inflation, supply chains, the need to get software done right, digital trust and, of course, return on investment.”
In Keogh’s view, the two new Scout EVs will circumvent these challenges.
Nuts and bolts
The company said Thursday the fully electric models are expected to offer up to 350 miles of range. The EVs will also be equipped with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard. But in a twist that suggests Scout wants to hedge its bets, the company will also offer extended range variants with more than 500 miles of range made possible through a built-in gas-powered generator.
Keogh was quick to note that the gas-powered generator version called Harvester is “still a Scout.”
“All of that great ability, all of that capability, all that recognition, nothing goes away when you get the range extender,” he said, adding that it is still an EV. “You still have the frunk, you still have all the packaging, and the battery will drive both of the axles, of course, the engine will power the battery. So this gives you a proper EV experience with, of course, the generator.”
He also noted that the Harvester model future-proofs the brand, which is “critical for us in these times.”
Regardless of the powertrain, the EV platform will offer up to 35-inch tires, more than one foot of ground clearance and nearly 3 feet of water fording capability, a front sway bar disconnect, front and rear mechanical lockers, competitive approach and departure angles, and robust suspension options, according to Scout. All of these details are part of that rugged messaging Scout hopes will appeal to customers.
The company also said the Terra truck will be able to tow more than 10,000 pounds while the Traveler SUV will be able to handle 7,000 pounds. No word on how that will affect the vehicles’ range.
The guts of both of these EVs will include what Scout describes as a modern zonal architecture, that allows for over-the-air software updates and remote diagnostics. Scout’s parent company VW has struggled to deliver this kind of software performance in its vehicles despite the creation of a 6,000-person-plus subsidiary called Cariad that is dedicated to exactly that.
Recently, Volkswagen Group agreed to invest $1 billion into EV startup Rivian as part of a broad software development deal that could expand to as much as $5 billion. It’s possible, and probable even, that the joint venture will lend a software hand to Scout as well.
The interior continues with the theme of new-meets-old. The touchscreen is front and center, but toggles and knobs, which are used to control the air-conditioning and heating, are located right below it. There is even a compass on the ceiling near the rearview mirror. One detail that embraces the International Harvester roots is the option to eschew the multifunctional console for a front row bench seat.
“Americans have not forgotten how to do things like open a car door, like turn a knob, like pull a switch, so I promise you all sorts of functionality to let Americans stay functional and keep doing things themselves,” Keogh said in a slight dig at numerous modern EVs.
Pricing
The Scout Traveler and Terra models will have an entry price under $60,000. Scout noted those prices could be as low as $50,000 with available incentives. That’s assuming that incentives laid out in the Inflation Reduction Act remain. Scout is poised to capture those incentives since it will design the vehicles in Michigan and build them at a new $2 billion factory capable of producing 200,000 EVs a year in South Carolina.
Scout is also taking the controversial step of selling its EVs directly to consumers, which would avoid using VW dealerships. The company said potential customers can make a reservation to order a Scout Traveler SUV or Scout Terra truck for a refundable $100.