- 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 autos for different automakers like VW
- This might assist fund Scout’s ventures and even lead to 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 achievement—and never simply with its personal two introductory vehicles.
See, Scout goes about this in a moderately sensible method. Seemingly not like Volkswagen, Scout has a spotlight in terms of EVs. It is not about creating home equipment, it is about creating a way of life product {that a} shopper actually desires. And, certain, there’s going to be some tech sharing occurring amongst mum or dad and youngster manufacturers, which is why Scout is hitting the fitness center early so it could flex its manufacturing muscular tissues 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 can 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 autos per 12 months. And as soon as it does that? Nicely, that is the place issues get attention-grabbing.
Scout truly constructed its plant with contract manufacturing in thoughts. That implies that it is going to be capable of construct autos 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 autos to qualify for the federal EV tax necessities with out the model constructing an entire new manufacturing facility by itself. A win-win, when you ask me.
“We arrange the manufacturing facility in a method that contract manufacturing is feasible for different VW manufacturers, or whoever is ,” stated 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 suppose that is higher futureproofing than establishing a bunch of tents, proper?
Scout’s plant can be set as much as be utterly modular. The already large plant is architected sort of like Legos, which means that if the necessity for enlargement is there, the model can merely snap on some extra manufacturing facility and proceed constructing. The structure and land are each already there, so realizing that it could double manufacturing capability on very brief discover ought to be a optimistic for any automaker seeking to reap the benefits of the model’s supply to deal with contract manufacturing.
All of that being stated, it is seemingly 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 prove half nearly as good as the general public thinks they may, I am certain people would not thoughts a little bit of Scout underneath the hood.
