Speculation - will Scout use the new EV battery announced by VW?

[BeerParty]

VW just unveiled "a standardized battery cell to use across its electric portfolio."

Volkswagen's EV Battery Dreams Are Coming Together

The VW Group's new

insideevs.com

From the article: "Developed by VW subsidiary PowerCo, the prismatic cell will debut in the automaker's line of affordable EVs launching in 2026."

According to the September 2025 Automotive News article (https://www.autonews.com/volkswagen/scout/an-scout-battery-source-0907/) Scout Motors is getting its batteries from PowerCo in Canada. The new cells they announced will be available in both NMC and LFP battery chemistries, which I believe matches what we heard would be used in the Scouts (I remember LFP was proposed for the EREV/Harvester).

So, how likely is it that Scout will be using this new battery cell? With the timing, it could go either way. Scout test mules should be on the road already, so Scout's initial design might be "too early" to use these cells. On the other hand, Scout might be testing the early prototypes of these cells. Production of these cells is scheduled to start in Canada next year, so they would be ready for the initial Scout deliveries if everything stays on schedule.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

If there weren’t these foolish tariffs in place and if they weren’t randomly changing day-by-day, I’d say it’s very likely. But I don’t know how the supply managers are choosing to deal with the uncertainty. A year ago, this option would be a no-brainer.

While a formal contract reportedly hadn’t been signed by the Munich IAA Mobility Show, it seems clear this is the path Scout Motors would like to take.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/scout-motors-source-batteries-vw-102206131.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHTGLCyrNrRsygJn-4R7k8wQlrUv2kx8rlblo4LKkNzdYzU1VfBMWjSknOu5HnLG45IVM_2JWy3Kl1JNiMKSQR8V5fMp7rnamVt9JshJBaz7AkzWiLZ0QA0olNgZTNaunLlTxLu2AxSrm8cREa3yYl86cc8sVLp5RKj-zlhHPhu4

 

[J Alynn]

VW just unveiled "a standardized battery cell to use across its electric portfolio."

Volkswagen's EV Battery Dreams Are Coming Together

The VW Group's new

insideevs.com

From the article: "Developed by VW subsidiary PowerCo, the prismatic cell will debut in the automaker's line of affordable EVs launching in 2026."

According to the September 2025 Automotive News article (https://www.autonews.com/volkswagen/scout/an-scout-battery-source-0907/) Scout Motors is getting its batteries from PowerCo in Canada. The new cells they announced will be available in both NMC and LFP battery chemistries, which I believe matches what we heard would be used in the Scouts (I remember LFP was proposed for the EREV/Harvester).

So, how likely is it that Scout will be using this new battery cell? With the timing, it could go either way. Scout test mules should be on the road already, so Scout's initial design might be "too early" to use these cells. On the other hand, Scout might be testing the early prototypes of these cells. Production of these cells is scheduled to start in Canada next year, so they would be ready for the initial Scout deliveries if everything stays on schedule.

I thought start date in Canada was 2027 based on the article. In that case they be short the first year unless they slow rolled them or imported them from overseas but then the tariffs would impact the costs?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I thought start date in Canada was 2027 based on the article. In that case they be short the first year unless they slow rolled them or imported them from overseas but then the tariffs would impact the costs?

My guess is that they’ll have NMC batteries produced in Germany and Spain first, then when the Canadian plant is operational, they’ll shift to those.

These articles also suggest that the Harvester might be released a bit later than the BEV if the Harvester uses LFP.

 

[EV_Or_Gas]

My guess is that they’ll have NMC batteries produced in Germany and Spain first, then when the Canadian plant is operational, they’ll shift to those.

These articles also suggest that the Harvester might be released a bit later than the BEV if the Harvester uses LFP.

That is highly possible - but on the flip side because the reservations and pent up demand is so much more for the Harvester there won't be big delays I think.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

That is highly possible - but on the flip side because the reservations and pent up demand is so much more for the Harvester there won't be big delays I think.

The problem isn’t demand. As far as we know, Scout’s plan is to use LFPs in the Harvester. According to various reports, PowerCo's LFP manufacturing may not be ready in time for Scout’s planned production dates. If the LFPs aren’t available from PowerCo, Scout's option will be to either go with a different manufacturer or delay release of the Harvester until the PowerCo LFPs are available. Neither is a great option to face, so I’m sure Scout Motors procurement managers are doing their best to avoid this scenario.

This is all rumors and nobody on the outside really knows what’s going on, myself included.

 

[J Alynn]

The problem isn’t demand. As far as we know, Scout’s plan is to use LFPs in the Harvester. According to various reports, PowerCo's LFP manufacturing may not be ready in time for Scout’s planned production dates. If the LFPs aren’t available from PowerCo, Scout's option will be to either go with a different manufacturer or delay release of the Harvester until the PowerCo LFPs are available. Neither is a great option to face, so I’m sure Scout Motors procurement managers are doing their best to avoid this scenario.

This is all rumors and nobody on the outside really knows what’s going on, myself included.

I agree and truth be told, I suspect since we don’t have tons of answers the harvester models are still being resolved. If plant was functioning right now I suspect they could pretty much start building the BEVs almost immediately but guessing engineering is several months or more behind on harvester which sucks for the majority BUT this would allow SM to ease into production with the BEVs first since it’s a lower percentage.

 

[Bertotti]

As much as I want a Scout with Sodium Ion tests doing so well in the colder climates I am most likely putting off any purchase until I can get that in a vehicle. -30 and even -50 F isn't uncommon where I live and currently my cars are outside but a Quonset is going up this spring.

 

[Warbirds]

As much as I want a Scout with Sodium Ion tests doing so well in the colder climates I am most likely putting off any purchase until I can get that in a vehicle. -30 and even -50 F isn't uncommon where I live and currently my cars are outside but a Quonset is going up this spring.

-30 is cold. I had a few days last year where it hovered around -15.
In my E TRON, it wasn’t so much charging in my garage, the range still took a hit, but it wasn’t horrible, but the big issue dragging it down you may consider that I ran into was parking it outside at work.
So yes- car spent the night in a heated garage, but then 12-14 hours in the elements sitting in my office parking lot was tough on the battery/range.

 

[Logan]

As much as I want a Scout with Sodium Ion tests doing so well in the colder climates I am most likely putting off any purchase until I can get that in a vehicle. -30 and even -50 F isn't uncommon where I live and currently my cars are outside but a Quonset is going up this spring.

Yeah, -50f is a whole different ballgame.

TBH, I don't even know if sodium Ion would handle that low of temps. All the data I've seen for them so far, is in the 0f to -20f range. With some saying they go down to -40f.

But once you get below -40f, things are way, way different. Given, I haven't actually lived in these locations, but read about it enough to know that its not even close to the same thing.

Heck, I've read some reports of some places in Russia where some people let their vehicle idle all winter long, because otherwise it won't start. And the startup procedure is to build a fire/place a propane heater under the vehicle.

Here is a video I looked at ages ago. And I know its not exactly what we're talking about. But sharing... I guess because it is interesting to see how different "extreme cold" is from "its just cold".

 

[J Alynn]

Yeah, -50f is a whole different ballgame.

TBH, I don't even know if sodium Ion would handle that low of temps. All the data I've seen for them so far, is in the 0f to -20f range. With some saying they go down to -40f.

But once you get below -40f, things are way, way different. Given, I haven't actually lived in these locations, but read about it enough to know that its not even close to the same thing.

Heck, I've read some reports of some places in Russia where some people let their vehicle idle all winter long, because otherwise it won't start. And the startup procedure is to build a fire/place a propane heater under the vehicle.

Here is a video I looked at ages ago. And I know its not exactly what we're talking about. But sharing... I guess because it is interesting to see how different "extreme cold" is from "its just cold".

My goal everyday in life would be figuring out how to leave that kind of climate

 

[THil08]

My speculation from day one of Scout being revealed, is that they will be using the unified cell design. And I will hope it comes true.

 

[Cranky Canuck]

My assumption is that Scout will likely wait until the PowerCo plant is producing cells in Canada before they'll be able to start production of vehicles. That probably means the two factories will likely ramp up production together so delays at PowerCo will mean delays at Scout. 90% of trade between Canada and the US falls under CUSMA (what you all know as USMCA) and is therefore tariff exempt so assuming PowerCo is CUSMA compliant - and why wouldn't they do everything possible to make sure they are? - they likely won't be subject to the random tariffs of the current US regime like foreign (ie non-US, non-Canadian, non-Mexican) battery suppliers would be.

I would guess that in a more sane world Scout would have been able to source cells from other international suppliers temporarily as a stop-gap to get their vehicle production up and running and hedge against potential delays at the new PowerCo plant. That likely would have carried a bit of a premium but it would have been manageable in the short term. Because of the tariff nonsense though, non-CUSMA battery suppliers will likely add exorbitant costs even if used temporarily so I suspect Scout will be more closely dependent on PowerCo than they otherwise would have been. Any delays in getting that facility up and running will therefore likely impact vehicle deliveries because it would be too expensive (due to tariffs) to get cells from other places.

I also expect that the BEV versions will stick with NMC chemistry and that the Harvester will stick with LFP. Scouts aren't going to be "low cost" vehicles so any new super cheap LFP cells - even if made by PowerCo - likely won't be earmarked for Scout and won't make it in to the vehicles at this point. They've probably already decided what cells they're using and at what price point so now it's just a matter of getting that production up and running and ensuring it qualifies for the CUSMA tariff exemptions.

 

[shutthefrontdoor]

Article 34.6 allows any party (Canada, the U.S., or Mexico) to withdraw from CUSMA with six months written notice.

I can't imagine Scout being 100% locked in to PowerCo. Too risky. I can only presume they have already mapped out various scenarios and contingencies so as not to have their launch affected or certainly not in any major way.

For every 6 months delayed, you could expect to lose about 10-20% of potential buyers.

 

[J Alynn]

Article 34.6 allows any party (Canada, the U.S., or Mexico) to withdraw from CUSMA with six months written notice.

I can't imagine Scout being 100% locked in to PowerCo. Too risky. I can only presume they have already mapped out various scenarios and contingencies so as not to have their launch affected or certainly not in any major way.

For every 6 months delayed, you could expect to lose about 10-20% of potential buyers.

I agree with you. 2 years is a long way away for us, but very short time for SM

 

[Bertotti]

I should clarify my recommend. I have seen a few weeks of -20-35 ambient temps tue -50 would be wind chills and even some colder wind chills. Not the same as an ambient temp of the same temp but still relavent to how fast something is cooled off to the ambient temp. Although I have my 100$ in of it is coming with the lithium battery I will end up passing. I do not in any way want lithium. I kno nothing about the other battery they seem to have settled on bt it isn’t used in the harvester versions anyway. I will focus on an old jeep rebuild instead. I’ll keep my order until the last minute but if Lithium I’m out.

 

[Logan]

I should clarify my recommend. I have seen a few weeks of -20-35 ambient temps tue -50 would be wind chills and even some colder wind chills. Not the same as an ambient temp of the same temp but still relavent to how fast something is cooled off to the ambient temp. Although I have my 100$ in of it is coming with the lithium battery I will end up passing. I do not in any way want lithium. I kno nothing about the other battery they seem to have settled on bt it isn’t used in the harvester versions anyway. I will focus on an old jeep rebuild instead. I’ll keep my order until the last minute but if Lithium I’m out.

I've long said that the last places to adopt EV's, will be very, very cold places. Batteries just do NOT like the cold. So I hear you there, and understand that you've got to do what you have to do. No worries there.

If you drive from heated (or at least not as frozen) garage to drive around and come back, not a huge deal. But anything that gets cold soaked, is going to have a hard time.

I read an article a while ago about how someone was trying to charge their EV with a level 1 charger (normal 15 amp wall outlet), at like -5f or something like that. And that most of the energy was used to keep the battery warm, not actually charging the thing.

We are lucky around here. Our low temps very rarely dip into the 20's.

I occasionally go play in the mountains, and I have wondered how an EV would do parked overnight at the peak, while I snowshoe and build snow caves. But even then "most" of the time, our mountain temps here are more like the 0-15f range, not -30f. I may even bring the Jeep or my PHEV on those, just in case.

I personally doubt that we'll see Sodium Ion batteries in the Scout, at least for the first gen/reveal. They are just still pretty rare in the automotive world, so while they're standing up a new brand, with so many other new things, I'm sure they'll be sticking with "what is pretty standard and works well" for many things, just to simplify.

But a "cold weather model" that used different battery tech, could totally be an interesting thing.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

There’s about zero chance Sodium will even be ready for use by the time Scout is building its vehicles. It’s basically in the same space as other solid-state battery technologies. The cells work in the lab, but industrial production methods have not yet been figured out to the extent necessary to reliably provide the tens of millions of cells needed for an automobile manufacturer to trust they can be delivered.

Both NMC and LFP are lithium ion chemistries.

The “NMC” is better described as Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide cathodes.
The “LFP” is also known as LiFePO4 or Lithium Iron Phosphate cathodes.

These are standard and well-understood chemistries and are used in pretty much all EVs on the road.

LFP is cheaper, handles higher temperatures better, has a lower specific energy (kWh/kg) and lower energy density (kWh/liter), but has longer lifetime.

NMC performs better in the cold (and has a better operational temperature range), has higher energy density and higher specific energy, has better safe discharge rates (better acceleration, recharge rates, etc).

 

[shirk]

I've long said that the last places to adopt EV's, will be very, very cold places. Batteries just do NOT like the cold. So I hear you there, and understand that you've got to do what you have to do. No worries there.

If you drive from heated (or at least not as frozen) garage to drive around and come back, not a huge deal. But anything that gets cold soaked, is going to have a hard time.

I read an article a while ago about how someone was trying to charge their EV with a level 1 charger (normal 15 amp wall outlet), at like -5f or something like that. And that most of the energy was used to keep the battery warm, not actually charging the thing.

We are lucky around here. Our low temps very rarely dip into the 20's.

I occasionally go play in the mountains, and I have wondered how an EV would do parked overnight at the peak, while I snowshoe and build snow caves. But even then "most" of the time, our mountain temps here are more like the 0-15f range, not -30f. I may even bring the Jeep or my PHEV on those, just in case.

I personally doubt that we'll see Sodium Ion batteries in the Scout, at least for the first gen/reveal. They are just still pretty rare in the automotive world, so while they're standing up a new brand, with so many other new things, I'm sure they'll be sticking with "what is pretty standard and works well" for many things, just to simplify.

But a "cold weather model" that used different battery tech, could totally be an interesting thing.

I live in a very hilly place and the best thing about EV's is parking it overnight off the grid in very high places. It gets charged considerably through regen on your trip downhill. I lose about 30% of my range when the polar vortex comes visiting.

 

[cyure]

I live in a very hilly place and the best thing about EV's is parking it overnight off the grid in very high places. It gets charged considerably through regen on your trip downhill. I lose about 30% of my range when the polar vortex comes visiting.

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