Scout Motors pivots to EREV SUVs and pickups: 560 km electric, 805 km with generator, 800V/350 kW charging; production in 2027 in South Carolina at new plant.
Scout Motors, Volkswagen’s new marque for SUVs and pickups, is changing course and putting its chips on extended-range electric vehicles (EREV). The shift, the company says, stems directly from customer demand: according to CEO Scott Kio, 80% of early reservations have gone to the Harvester, which is equipped with a gasoline engine acting solely as a generator.
In an EREV, the engine never drives the wheels. It switches on only to recharge the battery, preserving the feel of an EV while easing reliance on public charging. Scout claims its models will cover about 560 km on battery power and up to 805 km with the generator running — a range that, if delivered, could calm nerves for drivers who live far from dense charging networks.
The vehicles are expected to use an 800-volt electrical architecture and support rapid charging at up to 350 kW. Production is slated to begin in 2027 at a new $2 billion plant in South Carolina, a timeline that looks pragmatic given how quickly the market for electrified trucks is evolving.
Interest in EREV tech is rising elsewhere, too: Jeep, Ram, Hyundai and even BMW are weighing similar powertrain layouts. For shoppers navigating patchy charging infrastructure, this middle-ground approach — electric first, with a backup generator — may prove an appealing compromise until the grid catches up.
