Change of Heart?

[merrelljohnson]

Alright,

I’m posting this from what is somewhat “ground zero” here in Richland County, home of the first modern-era plant for Scout Motors.

My perspective from here on the ground feels very different from the national PR messaging.

From what I’m seeing and hearing locally:

1. Scout appears to be significantly behind schedule with development.
2. The project seems to have lost favor with portions of the state legislature and the general public.
3. Reports suggest the company has exceeded its initial budget projections.
4. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Volkswagen dealership network regarding distribution concerns.
5. There have been reports of layoffs affecting South Carolina employees, while some operations are shifting toward Charlotte.
6. Employees have reportedly signaled that the plant may eventually produce vehicles under the Audi brand.
7. Some reports from employees suggest the work culture has been challenging, including comments from leadership emphasizing that employees should prioritize Scout above almost everything else.

These reports—from people inside the company and from local news—give me pause.

Initially, I was excited about the announcement because I believed bringing a company like Scout to our state capital could help drive economic development and long-term growth in the region.

However, the decision to relocate the headquarters to Charlotte, citing a lack of local talent, was surprising. Especially considering that many professionals actually relocated here for the project, and the don’t seem to be doing well, or understand the Southern culture.
(Columbia/Blythwood) has a large military population so many of us are not originally from here.

I’m still holding my reservation for a Scout vehicle, but I’ll admit my confidence has started to waver.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?

 

[cyure]

Alright,

I’m posting this from what is somewhat “ground zero” here in Richland County, home of the first modern-era plant for Scout Motors.

My perspective from here on the ground feels very different from the national PR messaging.

From what I’m seeing and hearing locally:

1. Scout appears to be significantly behind schedule with development.
2. The project seems to have lost favor with portions of the state legislature and the general public.
3. Reports suggest the company has exceeded its initial budget projections.
4. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Volkswagen dealership network regarding distribution concerns.
5. There have been reports of layoffs affecting South Carolina employees, while some operations are shifting toward Charlotte.
6. Employees have reportedly signaled that the plant may eventually produce vehicles under the Audi brand.
7. Some reports from employees suggest the work culture has been challenging, including comments from leadership emphasizing that employees should prioritize Scout above almost everything else.

These reports—from people inside the company and from local news—give me pause.

Initially, I was excited about the announcement because I believed bringing a company like Scout to our state capital could help drive economic development and long-term growth in the region.

However, the decision to relocate the headquarters to Charlotte, citing a lack of local talent, was surprising. Especially considering that many professionals actually relocated here for the project, and the don’t seem to be doing well, or understand the Southern culture.
(Columbia/Blythwood) has a large military population so many of us are not originally from here.

I’m still holding my reservation for a Scout vehicle, but I’ll admit my confidence has started to waver.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?

In answer to your question, no. I’m just as enthusiastic about Scout as I was the day I made my reservation back on reveal day.

 

[merrelljohnson]

In answer to your question, no. I’m just as enthusiastic about Scout as I was the day I made my reservation back on reveal day.

I’m enthusiastic, but concerned.

 

[cyure]

I’m enthusiastic, but concerned.

Again, I don’t live in the area, but I’m not concerned. I live in the same town as Rivian. I have an idea of what you mean. I see the local articles about that brand. So I get it, there may be articles in publications that may not be as flattering as one would like, but I haven’t seen any articles about Scout stating what you are referring to (other than the dealer lawsuits).

 

[Scoutsie]

Alright,

I’m posting this from what is somewhat “ground zero” here in Richland County, home of the first modern-era plant for Scout Motors.

My perspective from here on the ground feels very different from the national PR messaging.

From what I’m seeing and hearing locally:

1. Scout appears to be significantly behind schedule with development.
2. The project seems to have lost favor with portions of the state legislature and the general public.
3. Reports suggest the company has exceeded its initial budget projections.
4. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Volkswagen dealership network regarding distribution concerns.
5. There have been reports of layoffs affecting South Carolina employees, while some operations are shifting toward Charlotte.
6. Employees have reportedly signaled that the plant may eventually produce vehicles under the Audi brand.
7. Some reports from employees suggest the work culture has been challenging, including comments from leadership emphasizing that employees should prioritize Scout above almost everything else.

These reports—from people inside the company and from local news—give me pause.

Initially, I was excited about the announcement because I believed bringing a company like Scout to our state capital could help drive economic development and long-term growth in the region.

However, the decision to relocate the headquarters to Charlotte, citing a lack of local talent, was surprising. Especially considering that many professionals actually relocated here for the project, and the don’t seem to be doing well, or understand the Southern culture.
(Columbia/Blythwood) has a large military population so many of us are not originally from here.

I’m still holding my reservation for a Scout vehicle, but I’ll admit my confidence has started to waver.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?

On these points:

1. Kind of figured that would be the case because that seems kind of expected.
2. Sounds like a matter of opinion, but that’s a shame.
3. Wouldn’t be shocking, given what’s going on in the world.
4. That is well known.
5. That was fast, and I thought that the idea was that administrative-type offices would be in Charlotte? How is this bad? It’s not that odd for companies to have departments spread out in a couple of locations for strategic purposes.
6. That seems like a kind of a fatalistic take, but sure, it’s a car factory made for the purpose of building cars: it probably could do that.
7. When you’re at work, shouldn’t you be focused on the work you were hired to do, or is this implying something more sinister?

I guess I’m not terribly bothered yet. Rosy glasses not too dirty. I’m happy to wait for good things. I’m bothered by the idea of “Hey, this thing you waited for? Well, we decided to really screw it up” even more.

 

[J Alynn]

Alright,

I’m posting this from what is somewhat “ground zero” here in Richland County, home of the first modern-era plant for Scout Motors.

My perspective from here on the ground feels very different from the national PR messaging.

From what I’m seeing and hearing locally:

1. Scout appears to be significantly behind schedule with development.
2. The project seems to have lost favor with portions of the state legislature and the general public.
3. Reports suggest the company has exceeded its initial budget projections.
4. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Volkswagen dealership network regarding distribution concerns.
5. There have been reports of layoffs affecting South Carolina employees, while some operations are shifting toward Charlotte.
6. Employees have reportedly signaled that the plant may eventually produce vehicles under the Audi brand.
7. Some reports from employees suggest the work culture has been challenging, including comments from leadership emphasizing that employees should prioritize Scout above almost everything else.

These reports—from people inside the company and from local news—give me pause.

Initially, I was excited about the announcement because I believed bringing a company like Scout to our state capital could help drive economic development and long-term growth in the region.

However, the decision to relocate the headquarters to Charlotte, citing a lack of local talent, was surprising. Especially considering that many professionals actually relocated here for the project, and the don’t seem to be doing well, or understand the Southern culture.
(Columbia/Blythwood) has a large military population so many of us are not originally from here.

I’m still holding my reservation for a Scout vehicle, but I’ll admit my confidence has started to waver.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?

Have of this has been covered in articles already so nothing new. Layoffs seem odd vs maybe work cycles are ending or perhaps they are having some report to Charlotte for reasons unknown but tough to see things like this posted here with substantial support or proof. Scout has had lawsuits for years and they seem to know it was happening. From dealers-expected, for the Stewart-that is county problem not Scout problem. As for more money-they added supplier park so yes, more money being spent.
Sadly I think most of this list is local chatter and rumor mill.
There has been several articles that Audi may produce, this has been known for well over a year at this point.
Unfortunately and respectfully, posting non substantiated info just fuels the fire of misinformation.

 

[J Alynn]

As for employees being told Scout is top priority-it should be. This is a major launch and if employees aren’t giving it 110% then time to move on. They are paying solid salaries and expect top performance. No different than my company and many others

 

[Jamie@ScoutMotors]

Alright,

I’m posting this from what is somewhat “ground zero” here in Richland County, home of the first modern-era plant for Scout Motors.

My perspective from here on the ground feels very different from the national PR messaging.

From what I’m seeing and hearing locally:

1. Scout appears to be significantly behind schedule with development.
2. The project seems to have lost favor with portions of the state legislature and the general public.
3. Reports suggest the company has exceeded its initial budget projections.
4. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Volkswagen dealership network regarding distribution concerns.
5. There have been reports of layoffs affecting South Carolina employees, while some operations are shifting toward Charlotte.
6. Employees have reportedly signaled that the plant may eventually produce vehicles under the Audi brand.
7. Some reports from employees suggest the work culture has been challenging, including comments from leadership emphasizing that employees should prioritize Scout above almost everything else.

These reports—from people inside the company and from local news—give me pause.

Initially, I was excited about the announcement because I believed bringing a company like Scout to our state capital could help drive economic development and long-term growth in the region.

However, the decision to relocate the headquarters to Charlotte, citing a lack of local talent, was surprising. Especially considering that many professionals actually relocated here for the project, and the don’t seem to be doing well, or understand the Southern culture.
(Columbia/Blythwood) has a large military population so many of us are not originally from here.

I’m still holding my reservation for a Scout vehicle, but I’ll admit my confidence has started to waver.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?

No change of heart at all on our end.

We are still moving ahead with everything and making great progress. New factory. New suppliers. New platform development. New employees. Launching two new vehicles. That is a lot to do at once, and there could inevitably be some delays when trying to juggle so much. Add in the geopolitical climate swings, material cost fluctuations, tariffs, and more, and it keeps things interesting for sure. But we're in a good position to navigate any challenges as they arise, and our commitment to the project hasn't wavered for a second.

We also pivoted from our original plan to only offer a battery electric vehicle to also offering a series-hybrid range extender with a gasoline engine (extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV), which adds significant complexity to the project in both development and parts but is worth the effort given the positive response we've seen from consumers. We also invested an additional $300 million in our supplier park, adding approximately 1,000 new supplier jobs in South Carolina. So yes, Scout Motors is investing and committing more to the project than initially quoted. That is actually a good thing and does not mean we're over budget (we're not).

A wide variety of factors go into choosing our headquarters location - population size, major international airport, proximity to the factory, city infrastructure, school capacity, buildings that are ready for us to move into quickly and can handle our growth, and many other factors. It isn't a decision that comes lightly and is yet another investment here in the U.S. and in the Carolinas for Scout Motors.

As we have said from the start, we could also have the capacity to add contract manufacturing for other automakers. One of the benefits of our site in South Carolina is that we have room to expand, giving us flexibility in how we grow or supplement production in response to market demands or prospective partnerships. We appreciate the opportunities that growth potential brings, but we have not made any decisions and do not have any announcements to share at this time. Regardless, our focus remains on finishing construction of the Production Center and getting our new Scout vehicles to market.

We are moving full speed ahead on our direct-to-consumer retail strategy, we continue to hire hundreds of roles across the company, and we remain 100% committed to our manufacturing operations in SC while also beginning to establish additional corporate operations just across the border in Charlotte. As an ambitious startup, we're proudly recruiting a world-class workforce that believes in our mission, and we appreciate the incredible work that our growing team of now more than 1,300 people is putting in every day to get it done for all of you.

 

[maynard]

No change of heart at all on our end.

We are still moving ahead with everything and making great progress. New factory. New suppliers. New platform development. New employees. Launching two new vehicles. That is a lot to do at once, and there could inevitably be some delays when trying to juggle so much. Add in the geopolitical climate swings, material cost fluctuations, tariffs, and more, and it keeps things interesting for sure. But we're in a good position to navigate any challenges as they arise, and our commitment to the project hasn't wavered for a second.

We also pivoted from our original plan to only offer a battery electric vehicle to also offering a series-hybrid range extender with a gasoline engine (extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV), which adds significant complexity to the project in both development and parts but is worth the effort given the positive response we've seen from consumers. We also invested an additional $300 million in our supplier park, adding approximately 1,000 new supplier jobs in South Carolina. So yes, Scout Motors is investing and committing more to the project than initially quoted. That is actually a good thing and does not mean we're over budget (we're not).

A wide variety of factors go into choosing our headquarters location - population size, major international airport, proximity to the factory, city infrastructure, school capacity, buildings that are ready for us to move into quickly and can handle our growth, and many other factors. It isn't a decision that comes lightly and is yet another investment here in the U.S. and in the Carolinas for Scout Motors.

As we have said from the start, we could also have the capacity to add contract manufacturing for other automakers. One of the benefits of our site in South Carolina is that we have room to expand, giving us flexibility in how we grow or supplement production in response to market demands or prospective partnerships. We appreciate the opportunities that growth potential brings, but we have not made any decisions and do not have any announcements to share at this time. Regardless, our focus remains on finishing construction of the Production Center and getting our new Scout vehicles to market.

We are moving full speed ahead on our direct-to-consumer retail strategy, we continue to hire hundreds of roles across the company, and we remain 100% committed to our manufacturing operations in SC while also beginning to establish additional corporate operations just across the border in Charlotte. As an ambitious startup, we're proudly recruiting a world-class workforce that believes in our mission, and we appreciate the incredible work that our growing team of now more than 1,300 people is putting in every day to get it done for all of you.

Great consistent message as always…. Thank you for taking the time to respond to this stuff - must be tiring!

 

[speedrye]

Alright,

I’m posting this from what is somewhat “ground zero” here in Richland County, home of the first modern-era plant for Scout Motors.

My perspective from here on the ground feels very different from the national PR messaging.

From what I’m seeing and hearing locally:

1. Scout appears to be significantly behind schedule with development.
2. The project seems to have lost favor with portions of the state legislature and the general public.
3. Reports suggest the company has exceeded its initial budget projections.
4. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from the Volkswagen dealership network regarding distribution concerns.
5. There have been reports of layoffs affecting South Carolina employees, while some operations are shifting toward Charlotte.
6. Employees have reportedly signaled that the plant may eventually produce vehicles under the Audi brand.
7. Some reports from employees suggest the work culture has been challenging, including comments from leadership emphasizing that employees should prioritize Scout above almost everything else.

These reports—from people inside the company and from local news—give me pause.

Initially, I was excited about the announcement because I believed bringing a company like Scout to our state capital could help drive economic development and long-term growth in the region.

However, the decision to relocate the headquarters to Charlotte, citing a lack of local talent, was surprising. Especially considering that many professionals actually relocated here for the project, and the don’t seem to be doing well, or understand the Southern culture.
(Columbia/Blythwood) has a large military population so many of us are not originally from here.

I’m still holding my reservation for a Scout vehicle, but I’ll admit my confidence has started to waver.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?

Was "Blythwood" a typo, or is that a local thing? I noticed the same spelling on the prototype vehicle tag.

 

[mastertroll]

I'm optimistic but it's crucial that the company is not leapfrogged out of the gate.

 

[TelemarkingSailor]

Trust is not like a steel beam spanning two points. It's more like a bamboo pole. Forces will test it, sometimes it will bend. Push it too far and it will break. I think Merrell's post and Jamie's response are a good example of a healthy exchange. Personally, I think Scout Motors has done a decent job of offering a vision for their company and their product without getting too far in front of a very, very basic truth: they are a for-profit, automobile manufacturing and design company.

Every relationship is tested. I can't speak to the experience of the people in Richland County or the Carolinas more broadly. But I think Scoutsie did a pretty good job of reflecting my reaction to the items on Merrell's list and I think Jamie's response shows that leadership remains committed. Like everything else, they have to set a course for the world as they hope it to be, but they must live and adapt to the world as it changes each day. Introducing the EREV is not a betrayal, IMO it is a savvy adaptation that has allowed it to substantially broaden their audience.

I don't expect Scout to be the perfect company or to create the perfect vehicles. I'm enthusiastic about the vision they have created and I'm pleased to see they progress they have shared with us. I will admit that I'm frustrated that I may not get my dream car until sometime in 2028 (or later), but I don't think Scout is misrepresenting themselves. I hope they will continue to engage on this forum and to share updates on the construction progress via their blog and those cool design videos.

 

[speedrye]

Trust is not like a steel beam spanning two points. It's more like a bamboo pole. Forces will test it, sometimes it will bend. Push it too far and it will break. I think Merrell's post and Jamie's response are a good example of a healthy exchange. Personally, I think Scout Motors has done a decent job of offering a vision for their company and their product without getting too far in front of a very, very basic truth: they are a for-profit, automobile manufacturing and design company.

Every relationship is tested. I can't speak to the experience of the people in Richland County or the Carolinas more broadly. But I think Scoutsie did a pretty good job of reflecting my reaction to the items on Merrell's list and I think Jamie's response shows that leadership remains committed. Like everything else, they have to set a course for the world as they hope it to be, but they must live and adapt to the world as it changes each day. Introducing the EREV is not a betrayal, IMO it is a savvy adaptation that has allowed it to substantially broaden their audience.

I don't expect Scout to be the perfect company or to create the perfect vehicles. I'm enthusiastic about the vision they have created and I'm pleased to see they progress they have shared with us. I will admit that I'm frustrated that I may not get my dream car until sometime in 2028 (or later), but I don't think Scout is misrepresenting themselves. I hope they will continue to engage on this forum and to share updates on the construction progress via their blog and those cool design videos.

There's always a love-hate relationship with a big manufacturing facility moving into a small rural community. Lots of opposition up front because nobody wants a behemoth in their backyard.