Quick Breakdown of Scout Motors – w/ some seasoned bias

Here’s a quick breakdown of the new VW-owned Scout Motors brand. The SUV is the Traveler, and the pickup is the Terra. VW is bringing Scout back as EV-only. The new Scout has no lineage-connection to its past other than name, design, & nostalgia. But off-roaders should appreciate VW’s effort of body-on-frame construction, mechanical front & rear lockers, and a solid rear axle. Additionally, the Traveler & Terra will support large 35” tires from the factory & come with 1-foot of ground clearance. And – they’re intended to be able to wade through 3-feet of water. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there’s little argument that Scout & Volkswagen nailed the design. But alas…

The 21st-century Scout is EV only… 

So that immediately takes it out of contention for a lot of buyers & puts it in contention for a lot of posers. VW/Scout is advertising 350-miles of range. But there are many variables to achieving that. Just one of which is the 35” wheel/tire package. A 35” tire/wheel package weighs about 90-pounds. That’s 90lbs of rotating mass on each corner of the vehicle. So how will that affect EV range? Well… negatively. And how will the Scout/VW drivetrain hold-up when it spins those heavy wheels/tires (pinned against a rock) with 1,000ft-lbs of instant torque? Well either way… it’ll be fun to see. 

Scout will use the Tesla NACS plug, so a plus-side is that you can use Tesla charging stations & talk to all the fascinating Tesla owners about how burly your truck is. That is, if any of them are willing to roll down their windows & let-in outside air. 

Scout specs & stats… 

The new Scouts will be fast, with 0-60 in the 3.5-second range. And they’ve reported towing capacities of 10,000lbs for the Terra (pickup), and 7,000 for the Traveler (SUV). The Terra also has an advertised 2,000lb payload capacity with a 5.5-foot bed. Those are impressive stats… and at this point they mean nothing because they’re not real yet. But at least it shows that Scout is trying to meet/exceed some consumer demands where EVs fall short. Scout will also offer a range extender (aka gas-powered generator), which they call The Harvester. It’s designed to get you another 150 miles in a pinch, combating range anxiety. Nerds seem excited/relieved about that option, but to us, that just seems like we’ve come full circle-jerk here. Please explain the point of spending $70,000+ for a ~7,000+lb EV, just to have to put gas in it & expose yourself to more fail-points. It’s like the band playing their instruments with a slit in the mask. 

Scout pricing…

The claimed starting price will be in the low $50,000 range. If true, that will be pretty potent. But we’re gonna call BS. And we’d like to call to the stand… the Ford Lightning. Remember when that gem was promised to start in the mid-$30,000 range? How ‘bout this: Remember in 2019 when Elon Musk said the Tesla Cybertruck would start under $40,000? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Hell – VW’s own ID.Buzz (the new van) starts in the low $60,000 range and quickly gets to the mid 70s. And that’s with wack range. Therefore we predict the “$50,000 Scout” will quickly hit $75,000-$80,000 if history is any indication. Especially since Rivian is involved. Ok officially, Rivian is NOT involved. But VW made huge investments into Rivian, in the billions. And in turn, they might have learned a thing or two from Rivian along the way. For example, like how to put on a grand show, acquire money & land from investors & governments, delay & raise prices on buyers with deposits, and in the end… make very little product. And with that in mind…

Scout availability…

The media got real excited about the Scout reveal. But pump the brakes just a smidge, because this reveal was technically just a pep-rally of concept vehicles. One that they’ve been teasing for over 2 years now. In other words, this was the ‘grand show’ as explained in the paragraph above. None of the specs & stats are promised. And Scout models won’t actually be available until the end of 2027… if then. Of course – you can give them a $100 deposit today, thus giving them funding & a false sense of demand that they can take to investors & politicians. You ever notice Toyota just makes cars & trucks without the whole dog & pony show? To recap & kinda shift gears (which is an ironic phrase in an EV)…

It seems like VW is getting a lot of things right with Scout Motors…

In fairness, they are. And that’s coming directly from the mouth of an EV hater. Correction: It’s coming from a car lover who doesn’t like being forced, told, manipulated, and lied to. EVs are a victim of lies, political deception, and bad stigma. Nevertheless, a capable & rugged EV with proven mechanical 4×4 attributes could be a real win in the American market. That is – if Scout can keep the price contained. The design is on-point, EV or not. Scout is using a lot of design elements that speak to driving emotions & the senses – like the virtually open top, the available front bench seat, etc. It’s also clear that they’ve been listening to consumer demands for more knobs & tactile engagement. Scout’s challenge will be authenticity. And authenticity is something nearly every EV has blundered thus far. People want more than a gimmick with an iPhone driving experience. VW has awoken an iconic name & brought old emotions back to the surface. How Scout 1) honors that & 2) who they market themselves to… will tell all.

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