Scout Launch Delayed Until 2028 Summer: Report

[4sallypat]

Personally I think EREV's are going to have a short shelf life. Once battery tech advances ( Donut Lab ) EV's will exceed Erev range . EREV's only work when both engine and battery is fully charged and full tank of fuel. Once battery is depleted and Erev motor kicks in there are questions weather it the engine can keep up with power demands on uphill towing scenarios. But as we speak there are no Erev's on the road. And VW knows they are what the crowd is shouting for ( Barabus ) but they know who will get them to the promise land. And it's where they initially started ( EV technology with 500 plus miles of range ) for that I will wait and thank the executive's at VW for having the vision and the balls to do what we all know is the future.

With shortcomings of the Solid state batteries, it will be quite sometime before automotive battery packs will be safe to use.

With all the early learning curves with NMC batteries causing fires (Tesla, Volt, Bolt, Leaf) I think another battery tech will take a long time work out.

NMC and LFP are currently the only "safe" option for automotive batteries.

 

[joewilk45]

With shortcomings of the Solid state batteries, it will be quite sometime before automotive battery packs will be safe to use.

With all the early learning curves with NMC batteries causing fires (Tesla, Volt, Bolt, Leaf) I think another battery tech will take a long time work out.

NMC and LFP are currently the only "safe" option for automotive batteries.

Look at Donut lab they claim the've broken the code and have a solid state battery now being used in upcoming electric motor cycle. And is currently being tested by a third party Finland lab check it out.

 

[joewilk45]

Look at Donut lab they claim the've broken the code and have a solid state battery now being used in upcoming electric motor cycle. And is currently being tested by a third party Finland lab check it out.

 

[4sallypat]

Look at Donut lab they claim the've broken the code and have a solid state battery now being used in upcoming electric motor cycle. And is currently being tested by a third party Finland lab check it out.

Yes, I have seen that company as well as Factorial that has partnered up with MBZ, Stellantis, Kia and Hyundai using SS batteries for tests.
https://electrek.co/2026/02/26/all-solid-state-ev-battery-maker-factorial-moves-toward-production/

Both looks promising, but I am most concerned about the heat generated by these packs.

Remember all those early car fires burning up EVs, homes, garages and even other cars ?

Until it's tested safe and let someone else be the guinea pig, I'll stick with NMC and LFP batteries.

 

[joewilk45]

Hey this could appeal to problem homes that don't sell get a first run EV get all your important paperwork and pictures put it in garage plug it in go on vacation come home to an insurance claim and a lawsuit to buy your new pad.

 

[joewilk45]

I guess it's all in the approach funny though we're in search of the holy grail battery and once someone claims to have it we don't want to be the first to try it ?? Myself I apply facts and common sense to things and things I don't understand I hope to someday understand and share that knowledge like someone did with me.

 

[joewilk45]

Audi just hired a new North American CEO he's looking to start manufacturing in drum roll .... South Carolina wow maybe consolidation is to take place makes sense VW just signed union contracts in Tennessee with UAW Audi could utilize Scouts facilities but if that happens we're buying scouts from VW dealers and to me I think that's a given. Anytime you think it's about a well made product and not about money is when we're wrong it's always about money so I'm thinking sometime in 2028'i will be possibly be buying a scout EV for 70 k from a VW associated dealer.

 

[Tradewind]

I will not purchase the new Scout, if I can't get all electric. I will never buy a vehicle with a VW gas motor period!

 

[joewilk45]

I am with ya I have yet to switch figure there's no rush. Hopefully they get a little more transparent on their long term plans with the faithful. And once you own a flying carpet you won't look back.

 

[joewilk45]

But in reality if VW knows there's a battery breakthrough on the horizon it makes sense to delay for two reasons their battery plant is in Canada and when scout was launched in South Carolina the EV climate was much different. Not foreseeing tariffs VW batteries will be expensive at current tariff rates. Or they know of battery advances that will exceed current Erev range. Put it simply if Donut labs claims are true it's a game changer for EV batteries and industry. Let's hope it is and Scout is an early model

 

[OGScoutII]

I'm reading this is still a rumor. Anyone hear any confirmations? I may have missed it perusing through the thread.

 

[joewilk45]

Well i believe we have people on this threads who claim to live nearby the Scout plant in South Carolina. Maybe he or she could swing by personally and see firsthand the progress and talk to construction workers they will know if the breaks have been put on. If equipment and robotics are being laid out and installed. But Scott or Jamie have been silent and human nature tells me that's not good. When there's something good we usually can't wait to share it.

 

[MarkInMD]

It's been way too quiet from Scout for too long now. Something is definitely up, the question is what?

 

[Knownman]

This feels like a gut punch ugh.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/vw-group-delays-scout-motors-launch-until-at-least-2028-report

The Drive Article:
The launch of VW Group’s new Scout Motors brand in the United States has been delayed by at least a year. According to German newspaper Der Spiegel (Paywalled and requires translation), the company will hold off on production until at least 2028, citing a combination of “technical issues” (per an automated translation) and existing financial obligations.

Scout was originally branded as an all-electric revival of the SUV of the same name produced by International Harvester from the early 1960s until about 1980. A rapidly changing political and economic climate has forced Scout to backtrack on its initial all-electric pledge. Now, it seems likely that the majority of Scout’s trucks and SUVs will be range-extended models equipped with onboard gasoline generators.

The company chose an American location for its production facility largely to take advantage of the
The VW Group subsidiary has been given a long leash, being treated as an independent brand with more of a startup atmosphere than a traditional automaker. It is also the third major effort by Volkswagen to establish a production foothold in the United States. The first, a plant in Westmoreland, Penn., operated for a decade. The second was the company’s highly successful Chattanooga facility, where the bulk of its mainstream U.S. models are now produced.

Scout Motors originally broke ground on its Blythewood, South Carolina facility in early 2024 and completed the bulk of construction in 2025. The company had originally planned to bring its first models to market in 2027.

“Scout Motors has not shared any timing or product update announcements,” a company spokesperson told The Drive in response to an emailed inquiry. We will update this story if we receive a more detailed statement.


English Translation of the Der Spiegel article:

In the US, Volkswagen suffered almost nothing but defeats last year. US President Donald Trump's auto tariffs particularly devastated business for Audi and Porsche – and cost Europe's largest automaker billions.​

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But even the VW brand sold almost 50,000 fewer vehicles there in 2025, despite a stable overall market and the fact that it produces vehicles locally and can thus partially circumvent the tariffs. In an interview, CEO Oliver Blume just abandoned the goal of achieving a ten percent market share in the US with all Volkswagen brands.​

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Scout, a historic pickup truck brand that the company intends to revive, is considered VW's only hope in the world's second-largest car market. In Blythewood, South Carolina, Volkswagen is currently building a factory where, according to the original plan, electric trucks and battery-powered off-road SUVs were to be produced starting next year.​

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At its final stage, Scout was supposed to be able to build 250,000 vehicles there, which, given the weak demand for electric trucks, is already considered oversized. Now, production is being delayed even further: According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, Scout has postponed the start date from 2027 to the summer of 2028. An earlier date is now considered purely speculative. Volkswagen declined to comment on the delay when asked. "We currently have no update to our timeline or product plan to share," a Scout spokesperson said in response to an inquiry.​

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Even tougher cost-cutting measures in Wolfsburg​

In the current crisis, the slower start of the Scout factory is causing particular tension. Group CEO Blume wants to tighten cost-cutting programs in Germany: According to a report in manager magazin, the Volkswagen boss has committed his executives to an even stricter austerity course. Even the closure of major plants in Germany, which the VW works council averted at the end of 2024, is being discussed again.​

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Now the Scout factory is becoming a political issue in Wolfsburg, especially since the plant and its supplier park are expected to cost three billion dollars (2.53 billion euros) – money that is urgently needed elsewhere. Construction is already in full swing, but the factory will probably only generate revenue a year later than hoped, assuming everything goes according to plan from now on.​

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The current problems could also affect the sister brand: Audi plans to build up to 40,000 premium SUVs (project name: "Audi Rugged") on the Scout platform in Blythewood.​

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Furthermore, the delay would be a significant setback in the race with the competition. Ford intends to launch a version of its best-selling F-150 truck with a range extender as early as 2027.​

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The reason for the impending delay: In addition to the development of the hybrid drive with a so-called range-extender (REEV), the software is also taking longer than usual, as is so often the case within the Volkswagen Group. Because the software alliance with the US start-up Rivian has not yet delivered what Scout needs, Volkswagen's own, itself crisis-ridden, development unit Cariad has to step in.​

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The situation is extremely difficult for the group, as many hundreds of people are already working for the new brand.​

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Even worse: The comeback to the US market, planned for years, has been postponed once again.​

Poaching in Ford and General Motors' territory​

Until now, the Volkswagen brand was too European for many Americans. Scout was supposed to finally make the company more appealing.​

Yeah blame someone else.
We knew it was going to get delayed because of the Volkswagen groups mismanagement. They and the entire German automotive industry have made a series of poor choices and are now being met by the consequences of those actions. People are voting with their consumer buying power.

 

[joewilk45]

Hopefully VW & quantumscape have a battery breakthrough. But Scout hasn't been to informative as to what the faithful can expect