Volkswagen Group builds new electric pick-up and rugged SUV for the U.S. market.
The German automaker VW plans to resurrect its iconic Scout as an electric vehicle. The company said that the vehicles would target American customers, and the unit would be designed, engineered and manufactured in the U.S.
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Deiss said in a statement: “After Volkswagen’s successful turnaround in the U.S., we are now taking the opportunity to further strengthen our position in one of the most significant growth markets for EVs. Electrification provides a historic opportunity to enter the highly attractive pick-up and R-SUV segment as a Group, underscoring our ambition to become a relevant player in the U.S. market.”
The Scout SUV was created in 1961 by the International Harvester brand (Now Navistar International Corporation), better known for producing farm equipment and commercial trucks back then. The vehicle was produced between 1961 and 1980, the term “sport-utility vehicle” didn’t exist at that time, and Scout is credited with helping to establish the SUV market segment.
According to Reuters, VW will invest around 100 million euros ($106 million) in the new Scout brand, said two people who have knowledge of the matter. It was also said that VW could “potentially seek external funding through investors or an IPO to expand its production capabilities.”
An Independent company will be established in the U.S. for the production of the Scout brand. According to VW. Arno Antlitz, CFO of Volkswagen, said, “The company we will establish this year will be a separate unit and brand within the Volkswagen Group to be managed independently. This aligns with the new Group steering model – small units that act agilely and have access to our tech platforms to leverage synergies.”
Production of the Scout brand will start in 2026 and targets to make 250,000-unit sales annually.
