Reservations for Scout Motors’ range-extended fashions are outpacing these for pure electrical variations, Scout CEO Scott Keogh mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week.
The brand new Volkswagen Group model plans to launch its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck in 2027 with a powertrain known as Harvester that provides a gasoline engine appearing as a generator to spice up vary. It is estimated to supply 500 miles on a mixture of gasoline and battery energy, versus 350 miles for battery-only variations.
Scout Traveler idea
The Harvester fashions are attracting extra reservations due to EV disinterest in “a portion of America” and issues over lack of public charging stations, Keogh mentioned, including that the range-extended powertrain “offers us a 50-state automobile” that may be bought in areas which can be much less EV-friendly. That maybe contains purple states like South Carolina, the place Scout’s manufacturing facility is being constructed.
“The 2 challenges we see with electrification, charging infrastructure—and naturally this takes that every one off the desk—and plus there’s comfort,” Keogh mentioned. “I feel with these two issues, a variety extender makes a number of sense.” The CEO added that the combo of all-electric or range-extended automobiles being produced might be simply adjusted to cowl adjustments in demand.
Scout Terra idea
The VW Group introduced Scout in 2022, reviving a reputation initially used on vans manufactured by Worldwide Harvester from 1961-1980. As a model beneath the management of the guardian firm, VW Group, fairly than VW of America, Scout is trying to implement a direct-sales mannequin just like different EV-only manufacturers like Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla. However VW’s franchised sellers are preventing that.
The Traveler and Terra pay homage to the unique Scout vans with retro styling, a body-on-frame structure, and an emphasis on bodily controls over touchscreens. However they’re nonetheless anticipated to boast some software-based options, like pet and camp modes, akin to the extra tech-forward EV manufacturers. A 3rd mannequin can be reportedly within the works, however timing is unsure.