Scout Pushing Back Arrival of First SUV to 2028 and Truck to 2030
The rumblings that Volkswagen’s U.S.-focused EV spinoff, Scout Motors, first vehicles might be delayed got much louder after a new report claims the Traveler SUV won’t arrive until 2028 and the Terra pickup in 2030.
AutoForecast Solutions, which produces a regular forecast of when vehicles will begin or change production, said in a report that production of the Traveler SUV will begin Sept. 1, 2028. Meanwhile, the Terra pickup will start March 1, 2030. Both vehicles will be produced at the company’s new plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, just outside Columbia.
“A lot of the more recent changes have been in the reengineering of the vehicle to get the EREV out first,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting, told Automotive News. “When the vehicle was originally announced it was going to be fully electric and the market has shifted since then. It makes a lot more sense to target the EREV, especially when you’re looking at trucks.”
Both vehicles were initially slated to begin March 1, 2028, but the company is taking more time to shakedown the vehicles, the first for the newly formed company, which was created in 2022. Production was initially targeted for next year.
The company told Automotive News, “We have noting additional to share about production timing.”
In early March, Scout CEO Scott Keogh confirmed the Traveler would be produced first, and likely with the Harvester EREV powertrain, an extended range electric vehicle. The fully electric version would come after that. The initial orders came in heavily weighted toward the EREV configuration, Scout officials noted.
Traveler orders came in at nearly a 3-to-1 ratio over the Terra pickup, Scout officials noted, adding there were more than 160,000 reservations for vehicles earlier this year. The Blythewood plant will be capable of producing 200,000 vehicles annually, and is expected to employ about 4,000 people when at full capacity.
It’s expected to produce more than just Scout vehicles in the future. Volkswagen announced April 9 the company will end production of the 2026 ID.4 at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant in a couple weeks. The plant will focus on high-volume sellers, especially the newly released 2027 VW Atlas SUV. However, officials noted a new version of the ID.4 aimed at U.S. buyers is in the works, and some expect the Scout plant will produce that vehicle.
[Images: Scout Motors]
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Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.
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"The initial orders came in heavily weighted toward the EREV configuration, Scout officials noted."
Interesting. Guess people want a truck/SUV capable of running on electric for those short trips made close to home during the week but without all the limitations that come w/full-on battery truck. The question will be initial cost, curb weight, EV range, fuel economy/performance with an exhausted battery. Especially when towing.
It's all smoke and mirrors. Nothing could cause this thing to delay another 29 MONTHS and 47 MONTHS respectively. They'll both be dead in the water - and too dated by then. I'm just glad I didn't get my hopes up and reserve one.