Scout Motors Explained
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.[5] [6]
History
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.[7] [8]
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.[9] [10] Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen USA, became the first CEO of Scout Motors.[11]
Locations
Factory
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.[12] The factory will employ up to 4,000 people[13] and it will manufacture the Scout Motor's first two vehicles: a small off-road focused SUV and a pickup truck that are scheduled to be launched in late 2026.[14]
R&D
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.[15] [16]
Notes and References
- Web site: Tysons-based 'Scout' to make electric vehicles in South Carolina . 6 March 2023 .
- Web site: Henckaerts . Arnaud . 12 May 2022 . Volkswagen lance une nouvelle marque aux États-Unis : Scout . Vroom.
- News: Shepardson . David . 19 July 2022 . Volkswagen says top U.S. Executive to run new Scout company . Reuters.
- Web site: 11 May 2022 . VW confirms revived Scout will be independently run brand selling EV trucks .
- Web site: Tysons-based 'Scout' to make electric vehicles in South Carolina . 6 March 2023 .
- Web site: Scout Motors selects South Carolina for production site . Scout Motors Inc. . 2023-03-03 . 2024-02-16.
- Web site: Volkswagen va relancer la marque Scout avec un pick-up électrique . Caradisiac. 12 May 2022. Florent . Ferrière.
- Web site: Naughton . Keith . VW Says There’s Never Been a Better Time to Build an EV Factory in the US . Bloomberg.com . 2023-03-20 . 2024-01-03. https://archive.today/20230320220702/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-20/vw-sees-biden-backed-support-for-ev-manufacturing-as-gold-rush. 2023-03-20.
- Web site: Volkswagen va lancer un 4x4 et un pick-up électriques ! . L'Automobile Magazine. 12 May 2022. Audric . Doche.
- News: Volkswagen Revives International Scout as US-Built EV Truck and SUV. Daniel . Golson. May 11, 2022. CNET.
- Web site: Trop . Jaclyn . Volkswagen's US CEO steps down to lead its Scout EV brand . TechCrunch . 2022-07-20 . 2024-01-03.
- Web site: Stevens . Tim . 2023-03-03 . VW-backed Scout Motors to build $2B factory in South Carolina . 2023-03-03 . TechCrunch . en-US.
- Web site: Trainor . Chris . The Scout electric vehicle plant in the Midlands will hire 4K workers. Where will they come from? . The State . 2023-03-07 . 2024-01-03.
- Web site: Stevens . Tim . 2023-03-03 . How Scout Motors plans to bring rugged, retro cred to the EV era . 2023-03-03 . TechCrunch . en-US.
- Web site: High-Paying, High-tech Jobs Coming to Novi . Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) . 2023-12-12 . 2024-01-03.
- Web site: White . Emmet . Scout Looks North in Building Its New Vehicle R&D Facility . Autoweek . 2023-12-15 . 2024-01-03.
