Somebody Is Losing The War On EVs, Bigly – CleanTechnica

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US President Donald Trump has been waging war on electric vehicles all year with some notable success, but his inevitable loss is already in the cards. Exhibit A is the Volkswagen offshoot Scout Motors, which is still on track to launch its first EVs into the US market in 2027.

Since When Does Scout Make EVs?

If the Scout name sounds familiar, that’s not an accident. International Scout was a suite of 20th century, jeep-adjacent off road vehicles manufactured by the US firm International Harvester between 1960 and 1980. IH subsequently sold off its agriculture division and emerged from a soup-to-nuts rebrand in 1986 as the commercial vehicle and engine manufacturer Navistar, later to be absorbed by Volkswagen’s heavy-duty truck subsidiary TRATON Group in 2021.

The chain of transactions provided Volkwagen with the Scout name along with the brand’s jaunty retro profile and its DIY, work-to-play cultural identity, of which Volkswagen took full advantage when it launched Scout Auto in 2022.

“Just as the first Scout vehicles appealed to the bold and pioneering, our growing community is composed of kindred spirits, and today adventure means a lot of things to a lot of people,” Scout proclaims on its website. “Our community is filled with climbers, campers, foragers, and explorers.”

“They’re cooks, builders, athletes, and DIY experts. They’re thrill-seekers, city dwellers, adventure seekers, and modern makers. But the thing they all have in common is their connection to the land around them, their desire to create and support community, and an unyielding will to do the next good thing,” the company emphasizes.

Scout Is Still Determined To Make & Sell EVs In The US

That’s laying it on rather thickly, but this is no time for shilly-shally. The premature death of the federal tax credit on September 30 was expected to send EV sales into a spiral, and it did. However, the recent misfortunes of industry leader Tesla have left a gaping hole in the US market. As Tesla CEO Elon Musk piles one unforced error on top of another, now is the time for competitors like Scout to fill the breach — tax credit or not.

The low hanging fruit is particularly evident in the electric pickup truck area, where Musk’s pet Cybertruck project has gone down in automotive history as an Edsel-worthy flop. That explains why a pickup is one of Scout’s first two offerings, in step with at least three other EV startups: Rivian, the Jeff Bezos-backed automaker Slate Auto, and the kei car stylings of TELO Trucks.

Scout re-affirmed its production timeline yesterday, in a press release announcing the selection of Charlotte, North Carolina, as its new corporate headquarters. The city is within convenient reach of Scout’s forthcoming headquarters, located about an hour south in Blythewood, South Carolina.

“Construction is progressing rapidly at Scout Motors’ Production Center in Blythewood, with initial production targeted to begin in 2027,” Scout noted. “Once it reaches full capacity, the Production Center is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs in South Carolina and attract additional suppliers and economic opportunities to the region.”

Scout also expects to bring more than 1,200 jobs into its new headquarters, indicating it intends to stay for the long haul. “Charlotte offers the momentum we need to scale quickly and sustainably. We’ll build a headquarters that reflects our culture, empowers our teams, and connects us to a region that’s fast becoming a national hub for mobility and manufacturing,” Scout stated, drawing attention to the Southeast’s emerging status as a hotspot for the vehicle electrification movement.

Nevertheless, They Persisted

This all sounds rather over-ambitious in a day and age when the political knives are out for EVs moreso than ever before. That remains to be seen, but Scout is among the zero emission stakeholders to play the long game. In mid-September, just days before the federal tax credit was set to expire, Scout announced that it put up an additional $300 million to build a facility for its suppliers on the site of its new Blythewood factory.

“This initiative, which does not come with any new government incentives, is expected to support approximately 1,000 additional supplier jobs and represents a critical expansion of the company’s existing investment of more than $2 billion in the state,” Scout explained.

The new Supplier Park facility is no small potatoes. It will take up more than 200 acres and host more than 2.3 million square feet of Scout-supporting suppliers in three areas of focus:

• Just in Time (JIT) Facility dedicated to sequencing parts for final vehicle assembly

• Battery Assembly Building designed for high-volume battery assembly

• Accessories Building to support upfitting and installation of vehicle accessories

“The size and scope of the park reflect Scout Motors’ strategy to build a fully integrated, domestic supply chain for its trucks and SUVs,” Scout emphasized.

Who’s Gonna Pay For All This?

Don’t get too excited just yet. Although Scout’s persona is that of a pure play EV maker with its Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV, the company is also pitching a Harvester version with a gas-powered range extender, an idea that harkens back to GM’s short-lived Chevy Volt. Word has it that many of the Scout fans pre-ordering vehicles have opted for the range extender option.

Range extender and all, last month Scout received a big thumbs-up from Consumer Reports, partly on account of its refusal to align itself with touch-screen culture promoted by Tesla. “Scout owners will find real buttons and knobs for infotainment and climate control, traditional exterior door handles, and even an optional three-person front bench seat,” wrote the organization’s Senior Autos Reporter, Keith Barry.

“After our experiences futzing around with confusing and unreliable electronic door handles on newer vehicles, we’re especially excited that both the Terra and Traveler feature traditional exterior door handles. What a concept!” Barry added for good measure.

Cutting to the mustard, Barry also took note of the cost of the cars. “As with rival off-roaders, customizability is a key selling point, including off-road accessories such as front and rear skid plates, an off-road winch, auxiliary lighting, and an exterior spare tire carrier on the Traveler,” he wrote. “We expect prices to climb well above $60,000 as buyers add these extras.”

Despite the affordability crisis besetting the nation, $60,000 sounds about right for a versatile EV that can hit the mark for use in work and commercial spaces as well as recreation, complete with bidirectional charging. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread.

Photo: Despite the harsh climate for EV sales in the US at present, the Volkswagen-affiliated startup Scout Motors is forging ahead with plans to launch into production in 2027 (screenshot, courtesy of Scout Motors).