Like many of these forms, I am very excited for the soon-to-be-released Scout Traveler and Terra. I am also impressed to see that there is a suggestion page for the purpose of trying to add features to the vehicle before it enters production. I think what excites me most about the new Scout is the direction the company is heading and its founding ideology of being an all-American electric offroader. In furtherance of that idea, I feel the need to give some suggestions that I believe will help further Scout in that direction.
Firstly and this may be my only issue with the new Scout coming out is that it has a solid rear axle and independent suspension out front. Having both a Rubicon and a 1978 Scout II my favorite feature of both vehicles is the solid front axle due to its reliability having larger tires on there and its offroading/rock crawling capabilities. I do understand that many individuals who are looking to buy a Scout care more about ride quality than off-road capability and that Scout has already developed both vehicles with independent front suspension in mind. With that being said I would definitely be willing to pay extra to have a solid axle for the front as an option. For Scout, I believe it would help capture some market away from the Jeep brand due to their lack of an electric vehicle in this market and for those who are not bothered by this, they do not have to pay extra for what is already promised. I also believe that this would fit the entire culture Scout is trying to create by allowing future owners to create their own Scout and allow a level of offroad customization that no other brand offers.
Second with Volkswagen’s current investment with QuantumScape and solid-state batteries seemingly being right around the corner for the company I would hope that there is a plan to either integrate them into the lineup if they are released before the first Scouts hit the road or an option to upgrade to them after such as a battery swap. I think the amazing potential that solid-state batteries have for electric vehicles, especially Scouts, has to be factored into near-future plans for the brand. Greater longevity, lighter weight, better charging, and better energy dynamics among many other bonuses would turn Scouts into the ultimate silent offroaders/overlander vehicles giving them much longer rangers before adding a Harvester to them if one is even deemed necessary. I have already reserved a Scout Traveler but I hope that if a solid-state battery option becomes available I will be able to add it or upgrade to it later.
Third, look to Rivian and do not copy Rivian. Rivian is an amazing company and their current/future lineup of vehicles is awesome but I believe that someone who would buy a Scout and someone who would buy a Rivian are similar yet very different. I think their many unique storage features are a highlight of the vehicle along with their ability to self-level and the R2’s completely flat folding seats. These are features I would like to have in a Scout, I already know it is likely planned to have a self-level feature but the completely flat seats I have yet to see. I noticed in a video that the Traveler had some sort of sliding rack system similar to what may be seen on the floor of a cargo jet for securing payloads. I think that would be an awesome feature that Scout aftermarket could take advantage of. I think it would be cool if the seats could fold flat and there would be a bed attachment I could hook in the back with a sliding galley kitchen turning my Traveler into a small camper while I hit the trails. It appears that this is already the direction with auto leveling seen in one of the videos explaining the UI and a satellite wifi panel (amazing idea). What I do worry though is that many are asking that more features be included from a Rivian that I do not think fits the model of the Scout. Many in previous comments have talked about including more tech for on-road driving or more features designed for a better road-use experience. I think adding all of these would be a mistake because it would likely drive up costs, turn Scout into a direct competitor with Rivian which should not be the case, and take away from off-road options that I believe fit the brand better. I think Scout should be the Audi to Rivian’s Porsche. What I mean by this is that they both develop similar vehicles but at different price points to a different crowd. If people truly desire all of those features found on better road-going cars go buy a Rivian they are awesome but what I am looking for is a serious offroader that will beat Jeep to the punch on offering a fully electric rock crawling machine.
Smaller features that may be a cool addition but aren’t a massive deal to me include the addition of red lights to both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. For the interior they would be used to read maps or move about the vehicle without ruining your natural night vision and on the exterior they would only be used while the vehicle is parked and in a sort of camp mode so it does not disturb others at the campsite. I also think the addition of removable top panels similar to the front ones found on a Jeep or Bronco would be cool as well.
In conclusion, I am very excited about the new Scout and I am very happy that I made a reservation for one. I think this community is going to be amazing and I think the revival of the Scout brand and its current direction is going to be one of the greatest success stories in the EV era. I hope that some of these suggestions are considered and I wish all the best as they develop this new brand! Thank you!
Firstly and this may be my only issue with the new Scout coming out is that it has a solid rear axle and independent suspension out front. Having both a Rubicon and a 1978 Scout II my favorite feature of both vehicles is the solid front axle due to its reliability having larger tires on there and its offroading/rock crawling capabilities. I do understand that many individuals who are looking to buy a Scout care more about ride quality than off-road capability and that Scout has already developed both vehicles with independent front suspension in mind. With that being said I would definitely be willing to pay extra to have a solid axle for the front as an option. For Scout, I believe it would help capture some market away from the Jeep brand due to their lack of an electric vehicle in this market and for those who are not bothered by this, they do not have to pay extra for what is already promised. I also believe that this would fit the entire culture Scout is trying to create by allowing future owners to create their own Scout and allow a level of offroad customization that no other brand offers.
Second with Volkswagen’s current investment with QuantumScape and solid-state batteries seemingly being right around the corner for the company I would hope that there is a plan to either integrate them into the lineup if they are released before the first Scouts hit the road or an option to upgrade to them after such as a battery swap. I think the amazing potential that solid-state batteries have for electric vehicles, especially Scouts, has to be factored into near-future plans for the brand. Greater longevity, lighter weight, better charging, and better energy dynamics among many other bonuses would turn Scouts into the ultimate silent offroaders/overlander vehicles giving them much longer rangers before adding a Harvester to them if one is even deemed necessary. I have already reserved a Scout Traveler but I hope that if a solid-state battery option becomes available I will be able to add it or upgrade to it later.
Third, look to Rivian and do not copy Rivian. Rivian is an amazing company and their current/future lineup of vehicles is awesome but I believe that someone who would buy a Scout and someone who would buy a Rivian are similar yet very different. I think their many unique storage features are a highlight of the vehicle along with their ability to self-level and the R2’s completely flat folding seats. These are features I would like to have in a Scout, I already know it is likely planned to have a self-level feature but the completely flat seats I have yet to see. I noticed in a video that the Traveler had some sort of sliding rack system similar to what may be seen on the floor of a cargo jet for securing payloads. I think that would be an awesome feature that Scout aftermarket could take advantage of. I think it would be cool if the seats could fold flat and there would be a bed attachment I could hook in the back with a sliding galley kitchen turning my Traveler into a small camper while I hit the trails. It appears that this is already the direction with auto leveling seen in one of the videos explaining the UI and a satellite wifi panel (amazing idea). What I do worry though is that many are asking that more features be included from a Rivian that I do not think fits the model of the Scout. Many in previous comments have talked about including more tech for on-road driving or more features designed for a better road-use experience. I think adding all of these would be a mistake because it would likely drive up costs, turn Scout into a direct competitor with Rivian which should not be the case, and take away from off-road options that I believe fit the brand better. I think Scout should be the Audi to Rivian’s Porsche. What I mean by this is that they both develop similar vehicles but at different price points to a different crowd. If people truly desire all of those features found on better road-going cars go buy a Rivian they are awesome but what I am looking for is a serious offroader that will beat Jeep to the punch on offering a fully electric rock crawling machine.
Smaller features that may be a cool addition but aren’t a massive deal to me include the addition of red lights to both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. For the interior they would be used to read maps or move about the vehicle without ruining your natural night vision and on the exterior they would only be used while the vehicle is parked and in a sort of camp mode so it does not disturb others at the campsite. I also think the addition of removable top panels similar to the front ones found on a Jeep or Bronco would be cool as well.
In conclusion, I am very excited about the new Scout and I am very happy that I made a reservation for one. I think this community is going to be amazing and I think the revival of the Scout brand and its current direction is going to be one of the greatest success stories in the EV era. I hope that some of these suggestions are considered and I wish all the best as they develop this new brand! Thank you!
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