• Scout is building a $2 billion facility in South Carolina
• Part of the restructuring includes the ability to deal with contract manufacturing, or producing vehicles for other automakers such as VW
• This could help fund Scout’s ventures and even lead to cross-brand technology sharing in the future

Scout Motors, the US-based off-road brand that left Volkswagen, is preparing to take root in South Carolina. When $2 billion Palmetto State facility to come online in 2027works to make the brand successful; And not just with his own two promotional trucks.

See, Scout is going about this pretty smartly. It appears that, unlike Volkswagen, Scout is focusing on electric vehicles. This isn’t about creating home appliances, it’s about creating a lifestyle product that the consumer actually wants. And of course, some things will happen Technology sharing continues between main and sub-brandsThat’s why Scout goes to the gym early so he can spread his production power throughout the automotive industry.

Photo: Scout Motors

The Blythewood-based facility will have a three-phase launch. According to Joern Petri, the automaker’s VP of Factory Launch, the first phase will consist entirely of opening the doors and pumping out the Traveler SUV, followed by the Terra pickup. Once the foundations are laid, the facility will continue to increase production to produce approximately 200,000 vehicles per year. And once you do that? This is where things get interesting.

Scout actually built its facility with contract manufacturing in mind. This means it can build vehicles for other OEMs (like Volkswagen) from the same facility and share its great technology and vehicles across brands, helping automakers meet US production requirements to qualify for the federal EV tax. requirements brand without establishing a brand new factory on its own. Win-win if you ask me.

“We set up the factory in such a way that contract manufacturing is possible for other VW brands or anyone who is interested,” Petri said in a presentation late last month.

This also means a rapid launch of other models Scout has planned in the future. I guess that’s better preparation for the future than setting up a bunch of tents. Right?

Scout’s factory was also set up to be completely modular. The already huge facility has an architecture somewhat similar to Legos; This means that if there is a need to expand, the brand can purchase another factory and continue construction. The location and land are already available, so knowing that it can double production capacity in a very short time should be a positive for any automaker looking to take advantage of the brand’s offer to contract manufacturing.

All this being said, it’s unlikely the Scout will reach this point until closer to the beginning of this decade. So, as all OEMs continue to roll out their battery-powered hardware, it’s good to know there are more options to increase EV production. And if these trucks turn out to be half as good as the public thinks they are, I’m sure folks won’t mind. Scout under the hood.