I enjoyed spending a little time with him at the reveal.New blog story. “The Sheriff”. I love it and I am so glad he watched over the Scout legacy so it could be reborn.
Extra, Extra....Read All About It!
- Thread starter Harris005
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From all of us at Scout Motors, welcome to the Scout Community! We created this community to provide Scout vehicle owners, enthusiasts, and curiosity seekers with a place to engage in discussion, suggestions, stories, and connections. Supportive communities are sometimes hard to find, but we're determined to turn this into one.
Additionally, Scout Motors wants to hear your feedback and speak directly to the rabid community of owners as unique as America. We'll use the Scout Community to deliver news and information on events and launch updates directly to the group. Although the start of production is anticipated in 2026, many new developments and milestones will occur in the interim. We plan to share them with you on this site and look for your feedback and suggestions.
How will the Scout Community be run? Think of it this way: this place is your favorite local hangout. We want you to enjoy the atmosphere, talk to people who share similar interests, request and receive advice, and generally have an enjoyable time. The Scout Community should be a highlight of your day. We want you to tell stories, share photos, spread your knowledge, and tell us how Scout can deliver great products and experiences. Along the way, Scout Motors will share our journey to production with you.
Scout is all about respect. We respect our heritage. We respect the land and outdoors. We respect each other. Every person should feel safe, included, and welcomed in the Scout Community. Being kind and courteous to the other forum members is non-negotiable. Friendly debates are welcomed and often produce great outcomes, but we don't want things to get too rowdy. Please take a moment to consider what you post, especially if you think it may insult others. We'll do our best to encourage friendly discourse and to keep the discussions flowing.
So, welcome to the Scout Community! We encourage you to check back regularly as we plan to engage our members, share teasers, and participate in discussions. The world needs Scouts™. Let's get going.
We are Scout Motors.
2027 Slate Pickup First Ride: We Ride Shotgun as Slate Confirms Pricing, Preorders, and a Delivery Timeline
www.motortrend.com
We Rode in the Slate Pickup, and Here’s What We Learned
Slate’s affordable EV truck gets more range, more towing capacity, and a clearer pricing picture as pre-orders open.
Honda reviving boxy Element in 2029 as a hybrid to battle Ford Bronco Sport
Honda plans to resurrect the Element, a quirky compact crossover that gained a cult following for its versatility and unique looks, as a hybrid targeting the booming lifestyle and adventure market.
Production of the new Element is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2029 in central Ohio, people with knowledge of the plan told Automotive News.
The move aligns with Honda’s push to expand its hybrid portfolio and adventure-oriented lineup in North America.
Positioned between the subcompact HR-V and the compact CR-V, the revived Element is expected to appeal to younger buyers and urban adventurers. The revival would come 18 years after the first generation ended its nearly decade-long run.
Honda plans to resurrect the Element, a quirky compact crossover that gained a cult following for its versatility and unique looks, as a hybrid targeting the booming lifestyle and adventure market.
Production of the new Element is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2029 in central Ohio, people with knowledge of the plan told Automotive News.
The move aligns with Honda’s push to expand its hybrid portfolio and adventure-oriented lineup in North America.
Positioned between the subcompact HR-V and the compact CR-V, the revived Element is expected to appeal to younger buyers and urban adventurers. The revival would come 18 years after the first generation ended its nearly decade-long run.
So instead of calling it the Passport Sport they are just calling it the Element. I wonder how close it’s going to look to the old one.
I’m sorry, how are they building 100,000 that soon. I thought they just got that paper plant to turn into their factory last year?
Are you confusing that with Slate's factory in Indiana, which was a printing plant? Honda has 3 existing auto plants in Ohio.
I'm surprised Honda hasn't moved towards an EV version of the Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is my favorite mid-sized truck for actual daily use ... it's roomy, nice bed with a trunk, nice tailgate, decent payload and towing capacity.
How EV batteries, from lithium ion to solid state, are evolving
(From Automotive News)The electric vehicle battery industry enters the second half of 2026 in a state of flux.
On one end: momentum from years of rapid development and dramatic cost declines. On the other: challenges from sagging U.S. demand, overproduction in China and a cost-cutting focus that has slowed new technology development.
Battery pack prices fell to a record-low global average of $108 per kilowatt-hour, according to the Volta Foundation’s 2025 Battery Report — and just $84 per kWh for Chinese manufacturers’ lithium iron phosphate packs. That has pushed EVs closer to cost parity with gasoline vehicles.
Global EV sales topped 20 million in 2025, up 20 percent, and could climb to 23 million this year to make up 28 percent of all new-vehicle sales, the International Energy Agency said in its annual Global EV Outlook report published in May.
Lithium ion battery development still advancing
Conventional lithium ion battery chemistries remain dominant and are continuing to get better. The Volta Foundation’s battery report cites improvements in lithium manganese iron phosphate as a more energy-dense successor to lithium iron phosphate, plus advances in cathode and anode chemistries to increase battery life and energy density.Panasonic, a longtime battery supplier to Tesla, is working on anode-free cells to increase energy density. A battery made of such cells could increase battery pack capacity by 25 percent, Panasonic said — that’s 90 miles of additional range for the Tesla Model Y without increasing pack size.
Ford Motor Co. and General Motors also are betting on lithium manganese rich batteries to increase both range and cost effectiveness, said Michael Liu, the Volta Foundation’s director of research and insights. The batteries’ manganese-rich cathodes — up to 70 percent by weight — offer one-third more energy density than traditional lithium ion batteries while greatly reducing their nickel and cobalt content.
Lithium manganese iron phosphate batteries replace some of the iron found in lithium iron phosphate cells with manganese to increase energy density. Lithium manganese rich batteries use greater quantities of manganese, which is more abundant in nature, and less of the costlier nickel and cobalt.
Chinese giant BYD says it has improved its Blade lithium iron phosphate battery. The second-generation Blade offers 5 percent more energy density and can enable ultrafast charging — from 10 percent to 70 percent in just five minutes and 10 percent to 97 percent in fewer than 10 minutes, the company said.
BYD’s new Blade “is probably the most remarkable [battery] advance in the past year,” Parr said.
Solid-state batteries closer, but not yet here
One problem with conventional lithium ion batteries, which use a liquid electrolyte, is the risk of fire and thermal runaway. Replacing the flammable liquid electrolyte with solid material is the EV battery industry’s moonshot. Solid-state batteries virtually eliminate fire risk while allowing for much greater energy density and faster charging than conventional lithium ion batteries.Toyota says it will have several models with solid-state batteries in the market in 2027 or 2028. Mercedes-Benz and BMW are conducting road tests. Mercedes announced in September that it obtained almost 750 miles of range from an EQS sedan with a lithium-based solid-state pack.
And numerous Chinese EV makers, including BYD, expect to begin rolling out limited high-end models with solid-state batteries as early as 2027.
In what it claims is the first such effort in North America, Stellantis this month said it is road-testing a Dodge Charger Daytona outfitted with a solid-state lithium battery from its Massachusetts-based development partner, Factorial Energy.
But significant obstacles remain. Solid-state packs are plagued by poor performance in extreme cold and are costlier than conventional batteries. Specialty manufacturing processes also are needed to produce uniform solid electrolyte layers and prevent rapid cell degradation.
Most industry analysts set 2030 as the earliest to expect commercially viable solid-state batteries in mass-market EVs.
Semisolid-state batteries can serve as bridge
Chinese automakers have found an incremental step — a lithium-based semisolid-state battery. They use a gel-like electrolyte to reduce their flammable properties, and the Volta Foundation suggests semisolid-state cells could act as a bridge toward fully solid-state batteries.Chinese EV maker Nio has begun mass production of 150-kWh semisolid-state battery packs. SAIC-owned MG recently launched the MG4 EV in Europe using a semisolid-state battery pack. Several Chinese battery makers also are supplying semisolid-state packs to stationary energy users, including data centers and power plants.
Future battery work beyond lithium ion
Work continues on alternate battery types, but most still are in the very early stages of development, Parr said.Sodium ion appears to be the most promising nonlithium chemistry, in part because of the abundance and low cost of sodium. But sodium-based batteries are less energy-dense even than lithium iron phosphate packs and can’t yet economically hit the 300-mile range U.S. consumers demand.
New production and charging equipment also would be needed, Liu said. Sodium ion likely won’t be viable in EVs until the early to mid-2030s, and then only for low-performance vehicles, according to the Volta Foundation and other battery industry researchers.
In the meantime, GM said it is teaming with Peak Energy to develop sodium ion batteries for stationary energy storage. GM will manufacture the batteries for Peak Energy’s storage systems, the companies said.
Ford also is developing batteries for energy storage, using lithium iron phosphate chemistry. The automakers are redirecting some of their battery-making capacity as slumping EV sales in the U.S. have created a market gap.
The challenge for the next decade is improving known battery chemistries for affordability and reliability, rather than pursuing entirely new ones, Parr said.
In the U.S., government policies have resulted in a slowdown in battery research, he said, “but there still are a lot of startups working hard. Their survival depends on how long this slowdown lasts.”
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