- Scout is constructing a $2 billion plant in South Carolina
- A part of the build-out contains the power to deal with contract manufacturing, or constructing automobiles for different automakers like VW
- This might assist fund Scout’s ventures and even end in cross-brand tech sharing sooner or later
Scout Motors, the off-road, U.S.-centric model spun off from Volkswagen, is on the point of root itself in South Carolina. When its $2 billion Palmetto State plant comes on-line in 2027, it is working to set the model up for achievement—and never simply with its personal two introductory vehicles.
See, Scout goes about this in a quite sensible means. Seemingly in contrast to Volkswagen, Scout has a spotlight in terms of EVs. It isn’t about creating home equipment, it is about creating a way of life product {that a} client actually needs. And, certain, there’s going to be some tech sharing occurring amongst mum or dad and little one manufacturers, which is why Scout is hitting the health club early so it may possibly flex its manufacturing muscle groups to the entire automotive trade.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
The Blythewood-based facility can have a three-phase launch. In keeping with Joern Petri, the automaker’s VP of Plant Launch, the primary part will likely be all about getting the doorways open and pumping out the Traveler SUV adopted by the Terra pickup. After it will get its footing, the plant will proceed to ramp up manufacturing to output round 200,000 automobiles per yr. And as soon as it does that? Nicely, that is the place issues get attention-grabbing.
Scout really constructed its plant with contract manufacturing in thoughts. That implies that it will likely be in a position to construct automobiles for different OEMs (like Volkswagen) out of the identical facility, permitting it to share its cool tech and instruments throughout manufacturers whereas serving to automakers meet U.S. manufacturing necessities for automobiles to qualify for the federal EV tax necessities with out the model constructing an entire new manufacturing facility by itself. A win-win, for those who ask me.
“We arrange the manufacturing facility in a means that contract manufacturing is feasible for different VW manufacturers, or whoever is ,” mentioned Petri throughout a presentation late final month.
It additionally means a speedy launch of some other fashions that Scout has deliberate sooner or later. I assume that is higher futureproofing than organising a bunch of tents, proper?
Scout’s plant can also be set as much as be fully modular. The already large plant is architected sort of like Legos, that means that if the necessity for growth is there, the model can merely snap on some extra manufacturing facility and proceed constructing. The format and land are each already there, so understanding that it may possibly double manufacturing capability on very brief discover must be a optimistic for any automaker trying to make the most of the model’s provide to deal with contract manufacturing.
All of that being mentioned, it is possible that Scout will not attain that time till nearer to the highest of the last decade. So whereas all OEMs proceed to get their battery-powered butts in gear, it is good to know that there are extra choices on the market to ramp up EV manufacturing. And if these vehicles end up half pretty much as good as the general public thinks they’ll, I am certain people would not thoughts a little bit of Scout beneath the hood.
