As we get closer to launch. Feature Requests & Real‑World Feedback for Scout

[mastertroll]

1. Automatic Perimeter Lighting

I didn’t even know this feature existed until I bought the Lightning, but now I can’t live without it. When you walk toward the truck, it senses you and lights up the entire perimeter. It’s incredibly practical — you can see where you’re stepping, avoid rocks or drop‑offs, and it just feels welcoming. You can also turn it on manually for jobs or whenever you need extra visibility. Small feature, big impact. Would like to see options on the fob or app. Another thing I like about both Ford Lightning and Tesla is the thoughtful interior lighting which includes frunk and bed.

2. Adjustable Air Suspension

I lifted my Lightning a couple of inches because I enjoy climbing into a full‑size truck. That made me think about the Tesla Model X’s air suspension — tap a button and you can raise it way up or drop it down for range. Scout should absolutely offer this.
Give us a “Jacked Mode” for a tall, commanding ride when we want it, and a low mode for efficiency. Auto‑leveling in uneven parking lots would be a huge bonus too. Also, options on fob/app.

3. Low‑Voltage Battery Reliability (12V/16V)

EVs across the industry struggle with premature 12V/16V battery failures. Tesla had it. Ford has it bad. It’s crazy that a vehicle with a massive main battery can be completely disabled by the smaller one. Please take this seriously so Scout doesn’t repeat these mistakes. I carry a jump starter everywhere, but that’s not a guarantee. My truck has died three times in seven months. Now I have to “babysit” it — running HVAC or driving it for 20 minutes daily just to keep it alive if it's been sitting for a few days.

This is exactly where built‑in solar could help: keep the low‑voltage system topped off or let the main battery maintain it automatically without user intervention. (while not losing range)

4. Tesla‑Style Camera Access

I miss how Tesla handles cameras. I could sit anywhere and pull up all the cameras at once — full 360° — even while driving if I wanted. I could see whose around me, if any. Ford, Chevy, Toyota all baby you. Go over 10 mph and the cameras shut off. Ford even blocks the rear view with a giant “ Full View Not Available” message. Nobody needs that kind of hand‑holding. If I could drop Tesla’s camera/software into the Lightning, it’d be game over.
And Tesla’s turn‑signal camera pop‑up is brilliant. Simple, smart, genuinely useful. I like being able to see my dog running on a back road with me and know he's away from the vehicle so I don't run him over. That was easy in Tesla. Ford, not so much.

Tesla Live Cabin Camera Comes in Touch!

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5. Intelligent Security (Sentry‑Style System)

Sentry Mode is still unmatched. Being able to view every camera angle from the app — including the interior — is huge. I can check on my dogs, talk to them, talk to people near the vehicle, and trigger the alarm, horn, lights remotely. Ford and the others don’t even seem to understand this category exists. With Tesla, if I get an alert, I can instantly see what’s happening from any angle. Not to mention record it right to my phone.

6. Movies, Music & Casting

Tesla nailed in‑car entertainment. Full access to Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Paramount, and more — plus great music options. Ford completely dropped the ball here. Would be interesting to see a few HDMI In/outs.

Scout should go all‑in:

• full streaming apps
• casting/mirroring for anything not natively supported
• premium audio that actually competes

Tesla’s speakers easily beat Ford’s, even on the Platinum.

7. Seat Comfort & Headrest Adjustability

Many manufacturers angle the headrests forward, which destroys neutral spine posture. I get the crash‑data reasoning, but it’s miserable for long‑term comfort. I end up removing the headrests and bending them with a breaker bar.
Give us customization options. If I want to risk my own neck, let me.
Ford does offer good upper/mid/lower lumbar adjustments, so I’d love to see Scout match or exceed that with true posture‑friendly seating.

8. Driving Experience & Intelligent Chimes

Mentioned this one before but I miss Tesla’s subtle chimes — the ones that let you know when a light turns green or traffic starts moving. It feels like being in an aircraft cockpit: calm, intelligent, helpful.
It makes the vehicle feel alive, like you have an assistant watching the road with you. You can even see the system tracking traffic and lights on the screen. Small detail, huge difference.

9. Factory Winch Option

A front winch is a must‑have for a vehicle marketed toward an active lifestyle. It’s practical for mud, snow, recovery, and off‑road situations. Scout should offer a factory winch option right from the start.

- YouTube

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10. Power Output: 50A/30A & Household Outlets

- YouTube

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I’d like to see Scout at least match the Lightning’s 9.6 kW peak output.
With the Lightning, I effectively have access to ~140 kW total — once it’s gone, it’s gone, but it’s a huge buffer.
With Scout’s EREV setup, things work differently. The battery will be smaller, and the gas generator will recharge it, but the big question is:
Can it sustain uninterrupted power for days like the Lightning can?
I can run a fridge and AC for a week on the Lightning. Ideally, the Scout’s generator would automatically kick on and maintain the battery without interruptions. If it can match that performance, great. If not, that’s a deal‑breaker for me. I’d cancel or switch to the EV‑only version if the EREV can’t keep up.

11. Entire rear windshield can roll down and or lift gate situation like what chevy is doing on the silverado This would give a interesting way to heat and cool the truck with a camper shell.

- YouTube

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Want to see Scout succeed!

 

[speedrye]

I was planning to use my Scout EREV in EV mode only for weekly work commuting and around town errands (100-150 miles per week). I want to reduce my current around town gas usage of 1-2 times a month (hopefully to 1-2 fuel ups every 3-4 months or longer).

I don't know if the EREV only has two settings of full EREV or EV battery only OR you can do a sliding scale % of how much of the gas generator you want to use to supplement (10% gas generator + 150 miles of EV battery pack = 185 miles before recharging at home).

Never been an issue with my previous I.C.E. or hybrid vehicles; but, we might need to add fuel stabilizers if we go 3-12 months in pure EV mode with the EREV?

I plan on using ethanol-free gas (longer shelf-life), but I take enough trips that'll require the use of the Harvester, so I don't expect that I have to worry about the gas going bad.

 

[Scout_Lookout]

I was planning to use my Scout EREV in EV mode only for weekly work commuting and around town errands (100-150 miles per week). I want to reduce my current around town gas usage of 1-2 times a month (hopefully to 1-2 fuel ups every 3-4 months or longer).

I don't know if the EREV only has two settings of full EREV or EV battery only OR you can do a sliding scale % of how much of the gas generator you want to use to supplement (10% gas generator + 150 miles of EV battery pack = 185 miles before recharging at home).

Never been an issue with my previous I.C.E. or hybrid vehicles; but, we might need to add fuel stabilizers if we go 3-12 months in pure EV mode with the EREV?

This supports the theory that transitioning to full BEV will only be a matter of time. Once you get comfortable running that many miles in EV mode only you will quickly learn that you can easily go with a full BEV going forward. This is especially true if the charging infrastructure can easily support it.

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

Oh man, we used to abuse the heck out of a poor Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickup back in the day. That thing regularly had a ton+ in the bed and often towed 12k+ lbs. All out of a 4-cylinder truck that couldn't have weighed 3k lbs. Unsafe as heck, but super-reliable.

I used to drive trucks, but realized they were dumb for 100% of my uses. A boxy SUV with a tow-rating covered 98% of the hauling duties while keeping things dry inside. A trailer behind it covered the other 2%. As an added bonus, the trailer holds notably larger items better than a truck bed while being much easier to load.

Oh man! You shouldn’t have told us that. My Highlander does all that for me now.

 

[cyure]

This supports the theory that transitioning to full BEV will only be a matter of time. Once you get comfortable running that many miles in EV mode only you will quickly learn that you can easily go with a full BEV going forward. This is especially true if the charging infrastructure can easily support it.

Which is why I keep telling myself you can do it. Just get the BEV. Skip that EREV step. You don’t need it.

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

Man, the idea of backing a boat down our wet, steep local boat ramps in an ICE truck with minimal weight over the rear tires just scares me. Forget to put it in 4wd, you're asking to take your truck swimming. I'll bet EV trucks and the EREV would do great here with so much weight over the rear.

Edit: wonder how much I'll be able to dunk the Harvester in water before it becomes an issue?

Fording at 36” SM have said.

 

[Scout_Lookout]

Which is why I keep telling myself you can do it. Just get the BEV. Skip that EREV step. You don’t need it.

The way I look at it, is if the Out Of Spec youtube channel can drive across the country multiple times in almost every EV that is on the market most people can easily own a BEV. Sure there will be outliers that still need the EREV, but I would say it's easily the majority who don't.

 

[mrgold35]

Also my driving sounds similar to yours, which is why I switched to BEV.

I put around 12,000 to 16,000 miles per year just on my current vehicle; which, would also double as our primary X-country vehicle (Scout would replace). The option for pure EV mode for weekly work commuting/errands would probably account for +/-6000 miles of that. I might have to play with the EREV/EV mode settings to find out what works best.

 

[Scout_Lookout]

I guess, but a cement ramp with tires barely touching the water - I have that option sometimes, but often It's broken cement or gravel and I need to get the rear wheels 50% in the water - the slighter the angle of the ramp the further you have to go in...

Oldie but a goodie. How about taking away the boat ramp altogether and just driving into the lake to launch and get the boat

 

[maynard]

Oldie but a goodie. How about taking away the boat ramp altogether and just driving into the lake to launch and get the boat

The guy on shore is holding his beer...

 

[maynard]

 

[speedrye]

View attachment 19668

Watching Weather Channel hurricane and flooding coverage, I always see dumpsters floating by in the flood waters. I always wondered who fetched them...

 

[R1TVT]

.Just b/c it wades doesn't mean you can just drive your truck into any old lake!

This guys wound up in handcuffs:

 

[J Alynn]

.Just b/c it wades doesn't mean you can just drive your truck into any old lake!

This guys wound up in handcuffs:

Certainly helps explain the buyer demographic for those ugly ass boxes on wheels

 

[Broverlander]

Yup, the boat ramp got me to wondering. Fording depth, etc. I remembered the intake would be up high, so I doubt the engine will be a problem being very simple otherwise. I assume battery and motors are sealed, but solid axles typically have vents, so I'm wondering if it'll have a vent line routed higher to keep water out, or if we can extend the vent line like you need to do in the off-road world sometime.

Even though I never use my truck for truck things, my father in law has a truck and takes the jet ski in and out of the water every spring and winter (the pros take care of the real boat). Every year he asks me "can you back up a trailer? My response: "Negative, ghost rider" (he can't either). So I always get stuck on the jet ski when he's pulling it out of the water and he inevitably forgets to put it in 4WD, spins the rear wheels, and kicks gravel up at me. I'm starting to think he does it on purpose.

 

[Broverlander]

I put around 12,000 to 16,000 miles per year just on my current vehicle; which, would also double as our primary X-country vehicle (Scout would replace). The option for pure EV mode for weekly work commuting/errands would probably account for +/-6000 miles of that. I might have to play with the EREV/EV mode settings to find out what works best.

My exact concern is with the gas getting stale too. Other than a few road trips during the summer to the in-laws' lake cabin, the Harvester isn't getting used. I understand though that many hybrids have a mode that will automatically run the gas through so that it doesn't go stale. I'd expect that to be something similar to what the Harvester has.

My understanding that Scout will allow you to use pure EV only so the Harvester won't kick in, combined so you get the best range possible, and Harvester heavy so you keep the state of battery at whatever charge you left with. My understanding is that those will be selectable by the driver so if you don't want to dip into the Harvester you don't have to. You'd just have to stop and charge.