Scout returns with Traveler SUV and Terra pickup EVs due in 2027

• Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck will relaunch vintage Scout brand
• Prices to start at about $60,000, but the American-made EVs will qualify for current tax credits
• Reservations open Oct. 24, and Scout requires a $100 refundable deposit

Scout Motors debuted two new electric vehicle concepts planned for production in 2027, the new brand owned by Volkswagen Group announced on Thursday. 

The Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra pickup truck concepts are destined for production on an all-electric platform, and will be assembled at Scout’s new $2 billion South Carolina factory. The electric off-roaders aim to tap into the retromod trend of reviving bygone nameplates for a  new era, ranging from the Ford Bronco to the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz spawned out of the nostalgia for the iconic VW Bus. 

In 2020, Volkswagen bought the rights to International Harvester, a Chicago-based manufacturer of industrial and commercial appliances and vehicles that went out of business in 1985. It still made tractors as Navistar International until Volkswagen bought it and all naming rights, including to the Scout SUV and pickup line produced from 1961-1980. Designed as a more road- and family-friendly off-road alternative to the Jeep CJ, complete with a flip-down windshield, Scout vehicles were popular for their adventuring capability and ease to work on at home. 

The first vehicles from the new brand blend classic design elements with the latest powertrain technology. They employ body-on-frame construction like pickup trucks and classic SUVs, and they’ll have four-wheel drive as well as a solid rear axle and front and rear mechanical locking differentials. Yet they’ll be offered as either full battery-electric vehicles with an estimated 350-mile range or as a type of plug-in hybrid, under the sub-brand Harvester. Harvesters will have an engine that serves as a generator to fill the battery pack and power the motors—a setup also known as an extended-range EV—so that the vehicle can run on gas when the electric juice runs out. Harvesters promise an estimated 500 miles of total range. 

Scout aims to marry both old and new worlds. Mechanical door handles and analog controls contrast with modern 16.2-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital instrument displays. The upstart brand backed by the world’s second-largest automaker claims 80% of repairs can be completed at home instead of going to a dealership, like the original.

The concepts shown on Thursday are estimated to be about 85% production ready, with the final product still three years off. Still, elements such as a front bench seat and a swinging split tailgate give shoppers some variety that can’t be found on other electric lifestyle vehicles, such as the Rivian R1T pickup truck and Rivian R1S three-row electric SUV.

In June, Volkswagen Group invested $1 billion in American electric car maker Rivian that will balloon to a $5 billion investment over the next few years. Volkswagen benefits from Rivian’s electric architecture, software, and control modules, while cash-strapped Rivian gets the infusion necessary to develop a more affordable product line, particularly the R2 electric crossover due in 2026.

It’s unclear at this moment how much Rivian will end up in the Scout lineup, but the concepts bear striking resemblances. Both Scouts have an 800-volt electrical architecture that accommodates DC fast charging at up to 350 kw, and they’ll have bidirectional charging. They’ll use the slimmer, more efficient Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, and presumably will have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. 

Here’s what else is known about the two models. 

Scout Traveler SUV at a glance

• The Traveler has two rows of seats in five-seat or six-seat configuration
• The Traveler has dual-motor four-wheel drive, with an estimated 1,000 lb-ft of torque
• Scout estimates a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds
• Scout estimates the Traveler will tow more than 7,000 pounds, and has a payload nearing 2,000 pounds
• The Scout Traveler measures 207.9 inches long and 91.6 inches wide, which is larger than the R1S and nearly as large as a Chevy Tahoe
• Traveler will have 35-inch all-terrain tires, more than 12.0 inches of ground clearance, and 36 inches of water fording capability

Scout Terra pickup truck at a glance

• The Terra has dual-motor four-wheel drive, with an estimated 1,000 lb-ft of torque
• Scout estimates a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds
• Scout estimates the Terra will tow more than 10,000 pounds, and will have a payload rating exceeding 2,000 pounds
• The Scout Terra measures 229.2 inches long and 91.6 inches wide, making it a foot longer than the R1T and sized more like a full-size pickup truck
• The Terra has a 5.5-foot bed