VW to challenge Rivian, Ford with electric Scout SUV

VOLKSWAGEN (VW) plans to expand its electric in vehicle (EV) range the United States with a fully electric pick-up and sports utility vehicle under the Scout brand, 2 people with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday (May 11).

The carmaker would invest around 100 million euros (S$146.2 million) in the new brand, the people said, potentially seeking external funding through investors or an IPO to expand its production capabilities.

VW's supervisory board will "decide on the topic" at a meeting later on Wednesday, a VW spokesperson confirmed, and said an update was planned later on Wednesday.

Scout and Travelall vehicles made by International Harvester were forerunners in both function and style of popular SUVs from the Big Three Detroit automakers such as the Ford Bronco and General Motors' (GM) Chevrolet Suburban.

Harvester stopped building the Scout and Traveall in 1980 after the oil price shocks of the mid-1970s as it went through a restructuring.

But the Scout "look" lives on in vehicles such as Ford's current Bronco and electric vehicle start up Rivian's R1 pickup and SUV line.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that VW hopes to eventually sell up to 250,000 Scout-branded vehicles annually in the United States and begin production in 2026.

VW first disclosed it was considering using the Scout name late last year. The German automaker's Traton business acquired US truck maker Navistar in 2020, which owns the Scout name.

GM in 2020 said it would resurrect the Hummer name to build EV SUVs and pickup trucks and through March 31 has delivered 100 Hummer EV pickups in the United States. REUTERS