VW's New Off-Road EV Brand Goes On The Offensive Following Reports Of Delays
In February, German outlet Der Spiegel alleged that Scout Motors, Volkswagen's new electric off-road brand, would be delaying its EVs until 2028. Scout, at the time, reassured owners that it wouldn't be the case. These Extended-Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs) will be powered by electric motors, but will feature a gasoline engine under the hood, which can be used to recharge the batteries. Alongside them, Scout will also sell the two vehicles, the Terra pickup and Traveler SUV, as EVs.
Der Spiegel: 2028 for Scout's EREVs
Scout
The German report claims a source within the company told it that the brand's production would be pushed back to 2028. The source stated this was due to "technical problems" with the EREVs, though what specifically was never divulged. Moreover, "Attitudes within the brand aren’t positive regarding the 2027 timeline, and 'an earlier date is now considered purely speculative.'" Predictably, the brand refuted these claims.
Scout Motors: "nuh-uh!"
Scout
First, Jamie Vondruska, responsible for Brand Community, Socials, and Content at Scout, took to a company-run forum for owners to state: "The German publications love their headlines and ‘sources say’ articles – it all makes for good headlines people click on. We are still moving full steam ahead, bringing Scout back to market. Everything is moving forward and making good progress. Much like the guy who is balancing spinning plates on sticks and running back and forth to keep them spinning to prevent them from falling, we are juggling a lot at once. New factory. New suppliers. Two completely new vehicles. Could there be potential delays? Of course. But I will let you all know as quickly as I can if there are any official changes or major announcements." Vondruska's response left wiggle room in case of eventual delays, but the brand's stance on its 2027 date remained strong.
Scout's CEO says a bit of both is true: 2028 was always the plan, and 2027 was when the cars would be produced. Comments from CEO Scott Keogh indicate that's still the plan, and always was. Speaking to members of the Automotive Press Association last week, the executive said, "When do I see the cars in the hands of a physical customer? I see that sometime in 2028." He further clarified the brand's path to production: "These early phase [prototypes] will come down in 2026. "That’ll be a few dozen cars, but that’ll give us the ability to test a lot of things on the platform. Then we’ll build a second generation. We’ll build a third, then we’ll build a fourth. So we will do this through ’26 through ’27." That'll all be before deliveries start in 2028.