Photo: lars_o_saeltzer via Instagram
Volkswagen announced a while back that it intends to revive Scout as a standalone brand inside the Volkswagen Group. There are few things clear so far, but one Scout fan claims the future EVs won’t be like anything Volkswagen has in its stable.
America has high hopes for the future electric vehicles built under the Scout name. In May, when it announced the revival of the vintage brand, Volkswagen made it clear that the future Scout EVs would be capable off-roaders true to the brand’s heritage. For that, Volkswagen announced that the new brand would operate independently inside the Volkswagen Group, with very little interference from the Volkswagen brand.
One way or another, Volkswagen acknowledged its failure with other off-road vehicles, including Amarok. The first Volkswagen pickup was such a flop that the German company had to outsource the development of its second generation to Ford. Moreover, Volkswagen was never successful in the U.S. That’s why the company named an American as Scout’s CEO and is willing to give him a blank check.
And it turns out the newly appointed management will put Scout on a different course than Volkswagen. According to Scout enthusiast Jeff Bade, who attended a meeting with the Scout Motors team, the future electric off-roaders will not have many things in common with Volkswagen EVs. This means no MEB skateboard platform but a dedicated off-road platform that would make its International Harvester Scout ancestors proud.
According to Bade, the Scout team takes the Scout community very seriously and intends to offer vehicles that are both capable and very customizable. This means Scout will work with aftermarket companies and enthusiasts to make that happen. The SUV and pickup truck wearing the Scout badge would also be affordable. However, this is debatable, especially considering we’re talking about electric vehicles.
To make them affordable, Volkswagen would need to share the development costs, and Ford is in pole position. The Blue Oval has the know-how to develop capable off-roaders, and it knows how to make a compelling electric vehicle. More than that, it has just announced that it’s working on a new electric pickup on a dedicated platform. This sure sounds like something the future Scout vehicles could use, allowing both Ford and Volkswagen to slash development costs.
One way or another, Volkswagen acknowledged its failure with other off-road vehicles, including Amarok. The first Volkswagen pickup was such a flop that the German company had to outsource the development of its second generation to Ford. Moreover, Volkswagen was never successful in the U.S. That’s why the company named an American as Scout’s CEO and is willing to give him a blank check.
And it turns out the newly appointed management will put Scout on a different course than Volkswagen. According to Scout enthusiast Jeff Bade, who attended a meeting with the Scout Motors team, the future electric off-roaders will not have many things in common with Volkswagen EVs. This means no MEB skateboard platform but a dedicated off-road platform that would make its International Harvester Scout ancestors proud.
According to Bade, the Scout team takes the Scout community very seriously and intends to offer vehicles that are both capable and very customizable. This means Scout will work with aftermarket companies and enthusiasts to make that happen. The SUV and pickup truck wearing the Scout badge would also be affordable. However, this is debatable, especially considering we’re talking about electric vehicles.
To make them affordable, Volkswagen would need to share the development costs, and Ford is in pole position. The Blue Oval has the know-how to develop capable off-roaders, and it knows how to make a compelling electric vehicle. More than that, it has just announced that it’s working on a new electric pickup on a dedicated platform. This sure sounds like something the future Scout vehicles could use, allowing both Ford and Volkswagen to slash development costs.
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