One Feature Of Scout's Upcoming SUV And Truck EVs Could Spell Trouble For Tesla

It is always refreshing when you see an old and storied brand return to life. This is exactly what is happening with one of the oldest truck/ SUV names in America - Scout. There has been something of a revival of old SUV and truck names from American carmakers, with the Hummer EV, Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, and Ford Bronco being some of the iconic models that returned.

Tesla once had the advantage of being the pioneer of modern EVs, but with the competition catching up fast, younger startups smell “the blood in the water”. But getting a strong foothold in the booming EV segment isn’t as easy with so many legacy carmakers now taking a piece of the pie. 

Fisker, another EV startup, officially filed for bankruptcy in October 2024. The brand no longer makes vehicles, and only about 11,000 Fisker Ocean SUVs were built before the American carmaker went defunct. But how is Scout any different?

Related story: I Bought a $70,000 Fisker Ocean, But Immediately Regretted It, The Issues Started and 11 Months In and Only 7,000 Miles, It’s Time to Jump Ship

The Scout name has something that other EV startups don’t.

The name of the game is heritage, and there is plenty of that behind the Scout name. The original Scout was a rugged go-anywhere SUV, built by International Harvester from 1961 to 1980. The American company had been making trucks and pickups since 1907 and eventually decided to enter the (then) small niche market for four-wheel-drive recreational vehicles. 

The International Scout was a sales hit. In just the first three years, over 100,000 units were sold. The rugged SUV became a blueprint for other future models like the Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer, to name a few. It is safe to say that the International Scout was the logical evolution of the Willys Jeep and set the look of modern-day rugged family SUVs.

Now is the perfect time for Scout to secure a good chunk of the EV market

The International Harvester brand has been defunct since 1985. Scout Motors was established in 2022, following Volkswagen’s acquisition of the Scout trademark. In 2024, the company showed its two new models - the Scout Traveller SUV and Scout Terra pickup truck. It is easy to draw a comparison between Rivian’s R1S and R1T models. 

Related story: I Want to Switch From Tesla to Rivian, But All I See Are Horror Stories, and I Need to Know If Anyone’s Happy

That said, in 2025, Rivian sales have dropped by 16 percent compared to 2024, due to reduced EV demand and some policy changes that make electric vehicle ownership less incentivized.

Rivian does not have the luxury of a heritage-rich name, but Scout does. And while Tesla still reigns supreme in the EV market, Elon’s brand does not offer a rugged, body-on-frame model. Despite the rugged design, even the Tesla Cybertruck is based on a unibody platform. 

Related story: Why Tesla Will Cancel Cybertruck Production Soon

This is where Scout comes in as the Traveller and Terra are based on the same, in-house-developed, body-on-frame platform. The Traveller SUV carries over the curved rear quarter-window, which is a clever throwback to the original model. 

The modern-day Scout brand rides on the laurels of a model that molded modern SUVs and offers a rugged design that provides unparalleled versatility.

More flexibility on the powertrain front

In base form, the Scout Traveller SUV and Scout Terra pickup truck use a dual-electric motor setup (one for each axle), which provides four-wheel-drive capability. No official horsepower ratings have been quoted, but the torque figure is 1,000 pound-feet. 

The battery is expected to be 120-130 kWh, and provide 350 miles of range on a single charge. Optionally, you can get both the Scout SUV and Scout truck with a range extender - a normally-aspirated, inline-four supplied by Volkswagen - which brings the range to 500 miles. 

The Scout name is reborn and here to stay

Production of the Scout Traveller and Terra models is scheduled to start at the Scout Motors Production Center near Columbia, South Carolina, in 2027. Base models will start at under $60,000. There are already over 130,000 reservations, many of which are for the range-extender model. 

The company is expanding and with its new $206-million corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, Scout is opening an additional 1,200 jobs. What’s more, the company is willing to pay average annual wages of $172,000. Feel free to check out Scout’s website and X profile if you are interested in a career there. 

State-of-the-art facilities, high financial motivation, and heritage-inspired models, featuring a rugged design, sound like the right way to revitalize an iconic American car name. Let me know in the comment section below what you think about Scout’s return as a brand that makes rugged American EVs.

Image source: Scout Motors Press 

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota and Nissan are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.