- Scout Motors will reveal a concept SUV and pickup truck on October 24.
- The new brand from Volkswagen will build rugged electric vehicles at a new factory in South Carolina.
- The Scout SUV and truck could help Volkswagen do what it's never been able to: conquer America.
The EV world has been waiting patiently to learn more about Scout Motors, a new brand from the Volkswagen Group dedicated to rugged electric vehicles. Now we've got a reveal date for two concept vehicles.
Scout said on Tuesday that it will show off designs for an SUV and a pickup truck on October 24. Despite being one of the world's largest automakers—with a deep bench of brands ranging from Volkswagen to Porsche to Bentley—the Volkswagen Group hasn't managed to truly crack the American market over the decades it's been here. Some big, capable SUVs and pickup trucks—the exact kind of vehicles Americans crave and buy in huge numbers—could change its fortunes.
If the name Scout rings a bell, that's because International Harvester sold a now-legendary SUV of the same name from 1960 to 1980. Volkswagen came into possession of the Scout trademark after acquiring International Harvester's successor, Navistar, in 2020.
And now, it's reviving the Scout name for a line of off-road-oriented EVs that, in both style and capability, pay homage to the good ol' Scout. Think something like a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco—but electric.
"Built for work and play, our new Scout SUV and truck will be rugged, capable, and versatile. They have to be in order to credibly don the Scout badge. And with real tactile controls and real feel, they’ll meet the needs of Americans on the road and way off," Scout CEO Scott Keogh said in a LinkedIn post announcing the October event.
When they go into production in 2026, Scout's EVs will compete with the likes of the Rivian R1S and the Ford F-150 Lightning. Scout plans to build the vehicles at a new factory in South Carolina using a brand-new, dedicated EV platform. These won't just be Volkswagen ID.4s with new bodies dropped on top.
We hope to learn a lot more about the new Scouts in October, and you can expect on-the-ground coverage from InsideEVs as the details unfold. What do you hope the Scouts are like? What do you want to know about them? Let us know in the comments.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
