VW’s Scout EVs Will Be Built In South Carolina, Pickup and SUV Teased
VW’s anticipated new truck and SUV brand is set to have its first production facility based in South Carolina, home to many European manufacturer’s facilities.
The return of the Scout brand to the US is in full swing. Volkswagen Group’s revival of the Scout name for a dedicated EV off-roading brand comes with big plans to finally crack the U.S. market, something the company has struggled with in the past. On Friday, the company announced its first manufacturing facility based in Columbia, South Carolina.
Original plans for producing the new Scout-branded trucks and SUVs stateside revolved around partnerships with iPhone maker Foxconn and automotive manufacturing giant Magna, but talks with both came to a close earlier this year. It is unclear if there are talks with other manufacturers, though Scout is apparently making its own EV platform that is not shared with other VW Group cars.
Scout also released a teaser image of the truck and SUV, showing some details of both. Mostly, we see the profile of the pickup truck, which looks upright and traditional. The SUV is largely in shadow but there is some shape to it. Both look rugged and boxy, something close to the current Land Rover Defender. There were also no hints or easter eggs to be found when using editing software.
But one thing is for sure: Scout will build vehicles stateside. The company claims to have a made a final decision in a Facebook post, saying that the decision “solidifies a $2B investment in US manufacturing, [creates] 4,000 or more permanent jobs, and the potential to produce 200,000 or more Scouts annually when operating at full capacity.” The Columbia, South Carolina facility will be the first, but there are still details about supply chain and parts suppliers that have not yet been revealed.
It is still very early days for the Scout brand’s revival. Though the intention has been set on bringing back the original spirit of the Scout under International Harvester, it is surely going to be a much different product than any Scout of the past. It is one of the most iconic American trucks of the past, though it is yet to be seen what that brand cache will hold for the revival.
Either way, another off-road truck is coming to market and it's set to be built stateside. If things go as well as off-road enthusiasts hope, it should be an extremely neat truck.
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