- Scout is constructing a $2 billion plant in South Carolina
- A part of the build-out consists of 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 brink 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 fulfillment—and never simply with its personal two introductory vans.
See, Scout goes about this in a somewhat sensible method. Seemingly in contrast to Volkswagen, Scout has a spotlight relating to EVs. It isn’t about creating home equipment, it is about creating a way of life product {that a} client really desires. And, certain, there’s going to be some tech sharing occurring amongst mother or father and baby manufacturers, which is why Scout is hitting the gymnasium early so it could actually flex its manufacturing muscle groups to the entire automotive business.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
The Blythewood-based facility could 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 fascinating.
Scout truly constructed its plant with contract manufacturing in thoughts. That implies that it will likely be capable of 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 a complete new manufacturing unit by itself. A win-win, in case you ask me.
“We arrange the manufacturing unit in a method that contract manufacturing is feasible for different VW manufacturers, or whoever is ,” mentioned Petri throughout a presentation late final month.
It additionally means a fast launch of every other fashions that Scout has deliberate sooner or later. I suppose that is higher futureproofing than organising a bunch of tents, proper?
Scout’s plant can be set as much as be utterly modular. The already large plant is architected form of like Legos, which means that if the necessity for growth is there, the model can merely snap on some extra manufacturing unit and proceed constructing. The format and land are each already there, so understanding that it could actually double manufacturing capability on very brief discover ought to be a optimistic for any automaker trying to benefit from the model’s supply to deal with contract manufacturing.
All of that being mentioned, it is probably 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 vans prove half nearly as good as the general public thinks they may, I am certain people would not thoughts a little bit of Scout below the hood.
