Pilot Builds in 2026?

[BeerParty]

In the Car Scoops article (https://www.carscoops.com/2025/12/scouts-terra-and-traveler-want-to-sound-like-no-other-ev/) on the sound recordings they are making for the new Scout vehicles, the final sentence said this:

Production of the Terra and Traveler begins in South Carolina in late 2027, after a run of pilot builds in 2026.

This is the first I have heard of "pilot builds in 2026." Are these the testing vehicles that were mentioned by Jamie, or does "pilot build" mean something else? A quick Google search of "car pilot build" didn't turn up anything useful (don't bother with an "auto pilot build" search, that just gets you autopilot info).

 

[dreamweaver]

In the Car Scoops article (https://www.carscoops.com/2025/12/scouts-terra-and-traveler-want-to-sound-like-no-other-ev/) on the sound recordings they are making for the new Scout vehicles, the final sentence said this:



This is the first I have heard of "pilot builds in 2026." Are these the testing vehicles that were mentioned by Jamie, or does "pilot build" mean something else? A quick Google search of "car pilot build" didn't turn up anything useful (don't bother with an "auto pilot build" search, that just gets you autopilot info).

When I worked at Ford Motor Company they had a special plant just for pilot builds. Now because Scout has a brand new plant with no builds running they will most likely build them on the new vehicle lines.

 

[R1TVT]

My guess would be that they meant to use the word PROTOTYPE. I would envision the 2026 prototype vehicles to appear very much like the current builds, have a real-drive train + battery pack, resemble the production interiors that have been shown (with possible tweaks to materials based on working with suppliers) and maybe run a hybrid Scout / Rivian SW pack while the final SW design are finalized within the Zonal architecture. These will be absolutely pummeled and tested in all kinds of harsh environments so Scout can make any final supplier choices and lock-in last minute procurement for their supply chain (based on results of testing done with prototypes). The first vehicles will likely be in a state not dissimilar to the R1T's used in a Long Way Up. Here's a decent explainer:

 

[RodorW]

Pilot builds are usually the finalized design, run through the line for Q.A., and might be sent out as the demo vehicles for the public to interact with. I've read something about them being used for dealer test drives, but unless it's late 2026, that seems a little early for this description of a pilot build

 

[dreamweaver]

My guess would be that they meant to use the word PROTOTYPE. I would envision the 2026 prototype vehicles to appear very much like the current builds, have a real-drive train + battery pack, resemble the production interiors that have been shown (with possible tweaks to materials based on working with suppliers) and maybe run a hybrid Scout / Rivian SW pack while the final SW design are finalized within the Zonal architecture. These will be absolutely pummeled and tested in all kinds of harsh environments so Scout can make any final supplier choices and lock-in last minute procurement for their supply chain (based on results of testing done with prototypes). The first vehicles will likely be in a state not dissimilar to the R1T's used in a Long Way Up. Here's a decent explainer:

Pilot vehicles are for fleshing out assembly issues of a fully baked vehicle. Well after Prototype.

 

[R1TVT]

This is a pretty good methodology (caveat being that I am not an engineer and do not work for an OEM). I would say Scout is through the Concept Confirmation phase of this. My only point was that before "Pilot" with real vehicles to flesh out those assembly issues, we would likely see a prototype run, which might look something like the current concept vehicles we have seen, BUT with actual core components built into the frame of the concept (as opposed to solely on mules).

Exciting times ahead for sure as FC or the Functional Confirmation phase gets underway to include all HW, SW and components. This is from Magna FWIW:

 

[dreamweaver]

This is a pretty good methodology (caveat being that I am not an engineer and do not work for an OEM). I would say Scout is through the Concept Confirmation phase of this. My only point was that before "Pilot" with real vehicles to flesh out those assembly issues, we would likely see a prototype run, which might look something like the current concept vehicles we have seen, BUT with actual core components built into the frame of the concept (as opposed to solely on mules).

Exciting times ahead for sure as FC or the Functional Confirmation phase gets underway to include all HW, SW and components. This is from Magna FWIW:

View attachment 11866

I concure.

 

[cyure]

I concure.

It’s so exciting knowing at some point we will get to see prototypes!

 

[dreamweaver]

It’s so exciting knowing at some point we will get to see prototypes!

Quite often you won't recognize the prototypes, they are frankensteins.

 

[R1TVT]

Quite often you won't recognize the prototypes, they are frankensteins.

Those frankensteins were the mules I was referring to... I was thinking that the prototype would look like the R1T prototypes, which were very close to pilot and production R1T's. All speculation of course!

 

[cyure]

Quite often you won't recognize the prototypes, they are frankensteins.

I thought the frankensteins were the test mules. It’s my understanding the prototypes are the next in the step to production. So closer to what the production vehicles will look like.

 

[dreamweaver]

I thought the frankensteins were the test mules. It’s my understanding the prototypes are the next in the step to production. So closer to what the production vehicles will look like.

Covered in camouflage, both hard & soft

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

Pilot vehicles are for fleshing out assembly issues of a fully baked vehicle. Well after Prototype.

This makes the most sense to me, and using the actual production lines would reveal any production troubles lurking in the shadows.

 

[J Alynn]

In the Car Scoops article (https://www.carscoops.com/2025/12/scouts-terra-and-traveler-want-to-sound-like-no-other-ev/) on the sound recordings they are making for the new Scout vehicles, the final sentence said this:



This is the first I have heard of "pilot builds in 2026." Are these the testing vehicles that were mentioned by Jamie, or does "pilot build" mean something else? A quick Google search of "car pilot build" didn't turn up anything useful (don't bother with an "auto pilot build" search, that just gets you autopilot info).

Pilot build are the testing vehicles that are basically pre production zero series.

 

[J Alynn]

I thought the frankensteins were the test mules. It’s my understanding the prototypes are the next in the step to production. So closer to what the production vehicles will look like.

This is very much. They’ve done winter and summer mule tests and now winter is here they can do round two. They’ve been developing the SW all along so the pilots should be pretty well baked by then