Volkswagen revived the iconic Scout truck brand last year with much fanfare. The slick new SUV and pickup truck models combine retro styling with electric power, but VW said it would throw in an optional hybrid model that comes with a gas-powered range extender to appeal to some buyers. Now, the automaker has admitted that the majority of the reservations placed for the new trucks are for the model fitted with the gas motor.
The Scout EVs revive the historic nameplate after more than 40 years and is promising American-made electric power that can cover up to 350 miles per charge. If that kind of range gives you the heebie jeebies, then VW will offer a hybrid version of the Scout Terra pickup and Traveler SUV that can cover 500 miles thanks to a gas-powered engine that can recharge your batteries on the move.
Reservations for the two models opened up last year, and now VW has revealed that the gas-powered variant is wildly more popular than its electric sibling, reports Bloomberg. Scout boss Scott Keogh made the admission in an interview with the site during this year’s CES show in Las Vegas:
Scout, VW’s big bet to finally become a significant player in the U.S. market, was originally conceived as a pure electric vehicle brand. But in the face of slowing American consumer interest in EVs, Scout in October added plug-in hybrid versions of its two models, the Traveler sport-utility vehicle and Terra pickup, which are scheduled to debut in 2027.
And now reservations for the hybrid versions are outstripping demand for the pure EVs, according to Scott Keogh, Scout’s chief executive officer. He attributes that to EV resistance in “a portion of America” and worries about running out of juice in a pure-EV because there aren’t enough charging stations.
“This gives us a 50-state vehicle,” Keogh said Tuesday in a Bloomberg TV interview with Ed Ludlow at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. “The two challenges we see with electrification, charging infrastructure — and of course this takes that all off the table — and plus there’s convenience. I think with those two things, a range-extender makes a lot of sense.”
The range extender is pretty clever, as the gas-powered engine will run like a generator to top up the electric batteries as they run down, instead of directly powering the wheels. It’s a similar system to the one Stellantis will deploy when the Ramcharger pickup debuts this year.
Whether they’re fitted with a range extender or not, the new Scout vehicles are set to enter production here in the U.S. at a new $2 billion factory in South Carolina. The site reportedly won’t require “much modification” to meet the demand for range-extender models, which Keogh says gives the company “ultimate flexibility.”
For a full breakdown of what to expect from the new Scout trucks when they launch, check out our deep dive into the new models when they launched. You can also unearth some of the coolest design details on the SUV and pickup truck right here.
