Industry News: Scout Motors, A New Beginning for the 21st Century

[David]

Scout, originally was a product line of International Harvester, which merged into Navistar International and then via the purchase of Navistar International by Traton Truck division, part of the Volkswagen family. Ownership of the Scout product line has given VW the ability to bring back a focused EV division of desire by North American Consumers.

The Scout product line started in 1961 with the Scout 80 pickup truck and continued with Scout products till 1980.

1961 Scout Pickup

International Harvester created the Scout product line as a competitor to Jeep. This started with the above 2-door pickup truck with fold down front windshield. International Harvester started with production of commercial trucks and pickups in 1907 with the company adding an actual 1953 people hauler called the International Travelall, a competitor to the Chevrolet Suburban.

In the 1950's International Harvester began a focused design of a competitor for the 2-door Jeep CJ 4x4 which had great success due to GI's returning form WWII buying them for personal use supporting Jeep's transition from a War manufacturer to a retail seller of 4x4s. 

After the pickup truck, it did not take International long to expand into the SUV side also.

History overview of the International Harvester Scout can be had by visiting the following webpage, SCOUT.

Fast forward to 2016 when VW purchased a $2.9 billion dollar stake in Navistar to compete in the North American heavy truck market. VW continued over the following few years to buy additional stock till on January 30th, 2020 with a 16.8% holding of Navistar, VW offered $35 per share to purchase Navistar and fold it into the Traton Commercial Truck division. This gave VW the rights to the Scout name and all associated product that was still kept under the control of Navistar.

Fast Forward to May 2022, the Volkswagen Group announced that it was incorporating Scout Motors and Scott Keogh was to be the president and CEO along with a Scout board of directors as they would be creating an EV portfolio for the U.S. market.

Today, Scout Motors has an online presence with social media, and a brand-owned community forum.

Scout Motors

Scout has announced that with a nod to the past and a focus on the future, they will communicate with an honest style and intuitive user interface that will allow all those interested to navigate with ease the upcoming world of SCOUT!

Scout Motors Community Forums

Scout built this forum site to give an online meeting place for members of past and future Scouts to engage with the Scout Motors team , offering feedback, suggestions and inspiration for the future of Scout. With these feedback, Scout Motors has released the following teasers of the soon to be revealed Scout SUV and Pickup Truck EVs.

A true nod to the history of Scout while embracing the future of the Automotive world. 

Many might think that Scout Motors will use the VW MEB platform that is also being used by Ford, VW, Audi and Porsche. Scout Motors has not committed to using this platform and has stated that they are looking at a more rugged platform for long term EV production.

Scott Keogh, CEO of Scout Motors had this to say: "The Scout enthusiast community has preserved Scout heritage.  Since 1980, these owners and fans have kept Scout alive.  We're excited to be a part of the community and want to foster interaction and exchange as we reimagine this American icon." "We started this forum to nurture an open dialogue with our community members, to hear what they expect in all-new Scout vehicles, and to build a central location where past, present, and future Scout enthusiasts can come together as one."

Scout Motors has created a Scout Registry to chronicle vehicle history, ownership and unique builds. This allows Scout owners to create their own Scout Registry Entry with the ability to upload a description of their Scout and photos, share personal Scout stories and welcome new Scout owners as Scout's all-new, all-electric truck and SUV begins.

 

Scout Motors has the following company-focused message:

To honor where we've come from.

To unlock the potential of what lies ahead.

To show our land the respect it deserves.

To lift up our communities and haul their heaviest burdens.

To lead the charge into the great unknown.

Scouts go first, Scouts go farther, Scouts always come back to lead the way.

We are carrying on the everlasting spirit.

We are Scout Motors!

We're making the next generation of all-electric trucks and rugged SUVs for American drivers.

With this statement from Scout Motors, released a major press release on Friday March 3rd, 2023. South Carolina has been chosen for Scout Motors first EV production site.

Columbia, South Carolina, USA will be Scout Motors Inc. first EV production site building next-generation lifestyle trucks and rugged SUVs. This is a $2 billion dollar investment that will create up to 4,000 or more permanent jobs with a full capacity of more than 200,000 vehicles annually.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster had the following statement: “Scout Motors will provide thousands of South Carolinians with previously un-imagined opportunities and prosperity for generations to come. The Palmetto State, with its rich history, superior people, and sterling automotive manufacturing reputation, is the perfect place to re-start this iconic American brand.”

The Scout Motors Inc. site is approximately 1,600 acres, with the plant itself occupying 1,100 acres. Bordered by the I-77 and Blythewood Road, with a strategic location that is less than 20 miles north of Columbia, near major cities and talent hubs such as Charleston, Sharlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta. This site gives Scout unrivalled access to major highways, ports for movement of materials and finished products while also providing access to universities focused on automotive engineering and software development. Groundbreaking is to commence 2023 with production to begin by the end of 2026 if not sooner.

 

Scout Motors is an independent U.S. company, backed by the Volkswagen Group, with an experienced Board of Directors, including Dr. Gernot Doellner, Head of Group Strategy at Volkswagen AG, and Peter Bosch, member of the Bentley Motors Board for Manufacturing.

Scout Motors is headquartered in Tysons, Virgina. Retail sales of the Scout Truck and SUV will occur soon as the company moves forward with setting up sales for pre-orders. 

Scout motors can be followed at the following online sites: Scout Motors, (2) Scout Motors Inc.: Overview | LinkedIn, Scout Motors | Facebook, Scout Motors Inc. (@scout_motors) • Instagram photos and videos

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[David]

Seems VW is even tweeting about the new production site.

 

[smk4565]

Off roady SUVs and trucks seem to sell quite well, so this may work out.

[David]

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

Off roady SUVs and trucks seem to sell quite well, so this may work out.

Agree, this might actually do better than VW SUV and if they ever do a truck.

No VW baggage.