Scout Motors Needs to Rethink “Local” Service. Don't do the Tesla model.

[mastertroll]

One of the biggest concerns I have with Scout Motors’ current service plan is the definition of “local.” According to their roadmap, they aim to have service centers—called Scout Workshops—within 200 miles of 85% of buyers. On paper, that sounds reasonable. But in practice, it’s a logistical headache.

For many of us, especially those living in rural areas or smaller cities, a 200-mile drive isn’t local—it’s a full-day commitment. That’s hundreds of miles round-trip just to get a vehicle looked at, let alone repaired. And if the issue isn’t resolved in one visit, you’re repeating that journey again and again. It’s not just inconvenient, it’s unsustainable.

This is where Scout has a real opportunity to do better. They’re backed by Volkswagen, a company with an established nationwide service network. Why not leverage that infrastructure? Let VW service Scout vehicles for routine maintenance and diagnostics while Scout builds out its own specialized support. That would give customers real local access—not just a theoretical radius on a map.

If Scout wants to win over buyers who value practicality as much as innovation, they need to rethink what “local service” really means. Because for most of us, 200 miles isn’t it.

Having owned a Tesla, I can say the service experience was one of the biggest reasons I ultimately let it go. While the vehicle itself was impressive in many ways, the logistics of getting it serviced were anything but. I often had to drive several hours across state lines—for even basic repairs or diagnostics. Scheduling was inconsistent, communication was frustrating, and mobile service, while helpful, couldn’t handle more complex issues. It became clear that the convenience of ownership was undermined by the lack of accessible, reliable support. That experience left a lasting impression. If you want to get more purchases, please consider.

 

[R1TVT]

This has been discussed & your point regarding the importance of service is valid. But, any new business or venture must start from zero & scale, and Scout Motors isn't automagically going to make a comprehensive service network appear out of thin air overnight to appease all buyers. If Scout wants to sell more, then they are smart to look at locations where they can reach the largest addressable market for their targeted consumer base. Hint: they aren't going to survive by focusing efforts on sparsely populated regions of the country where they might also face labor shortages for techs - that is a harsh reality perhaps, but discipline like that will be required to get the fly-wheel spinning, generate initial sales and establish meaningful traction as a new OEM (and then expand and grow). Even with the VW network in play (hypothetically) you will still need to train techs and perhaps deploy additional service assets and equipment, but we will need to wait and see what Scout Motors has in store.

Personally, if I didn't have access to a Rivian service center within a reasonable drive, I would not have pulled the trigger on my R1T. I would have waited until I was within a reasonable distance before converting my reservation. Reservations will convert to orders when consumers have confidence that they can either A). Get remote service for basic maintenance and repairs in their own driveway, or B). Drive to a service center within a reasonable distance to home.

There will be those that will be willing to take the risk of being further from a service center and converting early anyway, but with a first model year there may be inherently more risk for those located further away from a SC. We should see an announcement regarding servicing locations PRIOR to conversion of our reservations.

As one data point, this is what Rivian shared back in 2022... The black icons were confirmed SC locations and yellow were planned:

Current map 2025:

 

[mastertroll]

If they partnered with VW at least with the rollout and building of the infrastructure then I think they would have way more purchases. If it comes down to towing and driving like with Tesla, that's going to scare away some people.

 

[R1TVT]

There is also the issue of confusion and possible brand dilution going to VW, or even aligning too closely with VW as a Scout backer. Independence seems to be something that is very important to the Scout brand and moniker.

"Are you buying a Scout or are you buying a VW with a Scout logo?"
"I thought Scout was an independent company?"
"VW makes trucks?"
"I don't like VW for X, Y or Z reasons, etc. etc."

The VW thing has its pluses and it has its minuses...

Could Scout potentially benefit from partnering with Rivian Service (if they had the bandwidth to expand and support more vehicles in conjunction with the R2 and R3 launch)? That one may be tough based on demand for service as Rivian expands with R2 very quickly, but could make sense from a tech and SW perspective given that Scout will leverage some of Rivian's architectural platform.

 

[cyure]

There is also the issue of confusion and possible brand dilution going to VW, or even aligning too closely with VW as a Scout backer. Independence seems to be something that is very important to the Scout brand and moniker.

"Are you buying a Scout or are you buying a VW with a Scout logo?"
"I thought Scout was an independent company?"
"VW makes trucks?"
"I don't like VW for X, Y or Z reasons, etc. etc."

The VW thing has its pluses and it has its minuses...

Could Scout potentially benefit from partnering with Rivian Service (if they had the bandwidth to expand and support more vehicles in conjunction with the R2 and R3 launch)? That one may be tough based on demand for service as Rivian expands with R2 very quickly, but could make sense from a tech and SW perspective given that Scout will leverage some of Rivian's architectural platform.

Also the way NADA is having fits about Scout selling DTC I don’t see how they could say okay VW you can’t sell our vehicles, but service them. I just don’t see how that would work under Scouts current sales model plan.

 

[J Alynn]

This has been discussed & your point regarding the importance of service is valid. But, any new business or venture must start from zero & scale, and Scout Motors isn't automagically going to make a comprehensive service network appear out of thin air overnight to appease all buyers. If Scout wants to sell more, then they are smart to look at locations where they can reach the largest addressable market for their targeted consumer base. Hint: they aren't going to survive by focusing efforts on sparsely populated regions of the country where they might also face labor shortages for techs - that is a harsh reality perhaps, but discipline like that will be required to get the fly-wheel spinning, generate initial sales and establish meaningful traction as a new OEM (and then expand and grow). Even with the VW network in play (hypothetically) you will still need to train techs and perhaps deploy additional service assets and equipment, but we will need to wait and see what Scout Motors has in store.

Personally, if I didn't have access to a Rivian service center within a reasonable drive, I would not have pulled the trigger on my R1T. I would have waited until I was within a reasonable distance before converting my reservation. Reservations will convert to orders when consumers have confidence that they can either A). Get remote service for basic maintenance and repairs in their own driveway, or B). Drive to a service center within a reasonable distance to home.

There will be those that will be willing to take the risk of being further from a service center and converting early anyway, but with a first model year there may be inherently more risk for those located further away from a SC. We should see an announcement regarding servicing locations PRIOR to conversion of our reservations.

As one data point, this is what Rivian shared back in 2022... The black icons were confirmed SC locations and yellow were planned:

View attachment 7546
Current map 2025:

View attachment 7547

I completely agree. I’d also second the numerous threads and doing a search. VW US dealerships are all trying to sue SM-WHY would SM want to work with them. Unfortunately @R1TVT is right that this may not be the vehicle for everyone and reality is it won’t be. Ford and Chevy have dealers in every other if not every town so there are always options outside of Scouts. But if you are dead set on a Scout than as mentioned above, accept that service build out will take some time and wait until you’re comfortable or trust that mobile techs can be at your driveway in a reasonable time frame and service will occur.

 

[mastertroll]

VW’s involvement brings real advantages. It offers stability, funding, and manufacturing power. That kind of support can give people confidence that Scout is here for the long haul, not just a short-lived experiment. I don't want to do the whole Tesla thing again. I am hoping Scout can figure it out.

 

[J Alynn]

VW’s involvement brings real advantages. It offers stability, funding, and manufacturing power. That kind of support can give people confidence that Scout is here for the long haul, not just a short-lived experiment. I don't want to do the whole Tesla thing again. I am hoping Scout can figure it out.

There have been plenty of discussions and even some at the reveal event and SM wants nothing to do with them. They don’t want to do dealership sales so that takes out VW. Dealerships who can’t sell the vehicle and who are actively filing lawsuits against SM certainly doesn’t create an air of confidence in service being logical. Not intending to rant at you (I apologize ) but it’s been made clear SM doesn’t want to be connected to US VW retailers. The connection SM has with VW is VWAG of Germany-not U.S. it just isn’t in the cards and statements I’ve heard as did others at the reveal made it clear it won’t happen. I agree with @R1TVT that a partnership with Rivian for service makes a lot more sense until both networks grow stronger

 

[R1TVT]

Yeah, the issue with Riv service is that they are still growing into their own network and will be launching a more mass-market vehicle with the R2, but who knows.

 

[oldgeeksguide]

There have been plenty of discussions and even some at the reveal event and SM wants nothing to do with them. They don’t want to do dealership sales so that takes out VW. Dealerships who can’t sell the vehicle and who are actively filing lawsuits against SM certainly doesn’t create an air of confidence in service being logical. Not intending to rant at you (I apologize ) but it’s been made clear SM doesn’t want to be connected to US VW retailers. The connection SM has with VW is VWAG of Germany-not U.S. it just isn’t in the cards and statements I’ve heard as did others at the reveal made it clear it won’t happen. I agree with @R1TVT that a partnership with Rivian for service makes a lot more sense until both networks grow stronger

One of the things I took away from the 80% customer repairability comment was that also meant that 80% of repairs could be done by your favorite local mechanic, which i suspect may not be true for rivian. For those of us without a 2 story garage with 10 foot high doors, that’s a blessing. Hopefully that means most of the time 85% of us won’t need to travel 200mi for service.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I would much prefer that Scout Motors create a service technician series of certifications so any garage or independent tech can become certified to repair Scouts.

In my mind, they would focus on training independent service technicians in communities that have been losing service tech jobs and provide financial support for the hardware and tools required to service Scout vehicles. This would help revive the service technician jobs in those areas while also distributing access to having Scouts serviced much more broadly around the country. Of course they would also make sure there are service techs in areas that have high populations and are likely to have high concentrations of Scouts.

Dealerships have been losing ground to independent service shops and Scout should embrace the shift away from the dealership model.

 

[Mousehunter]

200 miles is not a 1 day commitment. It is a 2 day one. One to drop it off, and another to pick it up. Also, if they don't provide loner vehicles-that commitment is for 2 people-which is a LOT worse.

Now in some fairness - a lot of specialists around me make the rounds. They don't work out of a single shop, but probably work out of 2 dozen shops and show up every 2 weeks. It works if you can wait. It is mostly glass and hail damage repair people now.

 

[Scoutsie]

Part of the “I don’t want to deal with dealers” experience is due to service departments being as sales-motivated as the sales floor. They are happy to sell you stuff that you don’t need. In an ideal world, why wouldn’t you be able to take your Scout to someone who has completed whatever set of certification hours needed to work on Scouts, assuming that’s even necessary?

 

[dreamweaver]

Part of the “I don’t want to deal with dealers” experience is due to service departments being as sales-motivated as the sales floor. They are happy to sell you stuff that you don’t need. In an ideal world, why wouldn’t you be able to take your Scout to someone who has completed whatever set of certification hours needed to work on Scouts, assuming that’s even necessary?

There are plenty of small independent shops that would love this work. But, they often can't justify the training costs for the employees. One of note though is a fairly new Certified Tesla/Rivian repair place not far from our house. They seem to be always at capacity.

 

[J Alynn]

There are plenty of small independent shops that would love this work. But, they often can't justify the training costs for the employees. One of note though is a fairly new Certified Tesla/Rivian repair place not far from our house. They seem to be always at capacity.

I think this is a great approach for SM. Spend money on training-not new buildings and further strengthen the core approach of Community

 

[J Alynn]

I also could see this approach benefitting the younger generations of “mechanics”/auto techs who could come out of trade school and work at a local service shop enhancing the ICE side with EV and giving younger techs the opportunity to take over/buy out older service trades and have an established center. Would be a great mentorship/apprenticeship approach to the industry as EV sales continue to increase year after year

 

[cyure]

I also could see this approach benefitting the younger generations of “mechanics”/auto techs who could come out of trade school and work at a local service shop enhancing the ICE side with EV and giving younger techs the opportunity to take over/buy out older service trades and have an established center. Would be a great mentorship/apprenticeship approach to the industry as EV sales continue to increase year after year

I know Rivian has a training program at the local community college. Scout could do the same thing all over the country with community colleges.

 

[J Alynn]

I know Rivian has a training program at the local community college. Scout could do the same thing all over the country with community colleges.

They also have the onsite training center at Blythewood so they could finesse the very SM specific functions versus general auto knowledge from basic training. And they could drive them and break them on the onsite off-road course for practical experience

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Part of the “I don’t want to deal with dealers” experience is due to service departments being as sales-motivated as the sales floor. They are happy to sell you stuff that you don’t need. In an ideal world, why wouldn’t you be able to take your Scout to someone who has completed whatever set of certification hours needed to work on Scouts, assuming that’s even necessary?

The high-voltage stuff does require some additional training, mostly for safety reasons. High-voltage, high-amperage can pose an extreme danger to someone not taking the proper safety precautions. It’s not *difficult*; it’s just important to be thorough.

 

[J Alynn]

The high-voltage stuff does require some additional training, mostly for safety reasons. High-voltage, high-amperage can pose an extreme danger to someone not taking the proper safety precautions. It’s not *difficult*; it’s just important to be thorough.

Met a high school facility’s director who found an employee in the snow, 16 feet out from the door of the electrical room because he wasn’t paying attention. Luckily he didn’t die and had minor injuries. I hate playing with electricity