Range extended to 500 miles
Pure battery-electric Scouts should have up to 350 miles (563 km), but for those who want to adventure a little farther, there will be range-extended versions that use a gasoline-powered generator to top up the battery pack. Such equipped Scouts should be capable of 500 miles (805 km).
With looks like these, I think the Traveler will be popular. Credit: Scout Motors
Those miles don’t need to be all on paved roads, as off-road performance has been a priority for this new startup. The platform has more than a foot (0.3 m) of ground clearance and can ford water at depths of up to 3 feet (0.9 m). It also has front and rear axles with locking mechanical differentials. The rear axle is a live axle design, and the front anti-roll bar can be disconnected for more wheel travel. It can also fit 35-inch all-terrain tires.
Scout owners should be able to haul stuff, too—the Terra truck boasts up to 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg) of towing capacity, and the Traveler SUV 7,000 lbs (3,175 kg). And both pickup and SUV can carry payloads of up to 2,000 lbs (907 kg).
You could have a bench seat here if you want. Note all the physical controls on the dashboard. Scout Motors
The Scout name isn’t the only comeback, because you’ll be given the option of an actual front bench seat. If my research is correct, the last new vehicle to be offered with a front bench seat was the 2013 Chevrolet Impala.
We can also expect a thoroughly up-to-date electronic architecture inside the car. Scout describes it as a modern zonal architecture (also known as a software-defined vehicle), and it’s likely the Terra and Traveler will benefit from VW’s $5 billion investment in Rivian, which allows the German automaker access to Rivian’s software after repeated stumbles at CARIAD, VW’s in-house software division.
If this sounds enticing, Scout has just opened its order books. After leaving a refundable $100 deposit, you can pick whether you want a Terra or Traveler and whether it should be a BEV or range-extended version.