Don't let the Scout become a status symbol; why $60k misses the point of the Revival

[Scout_Lookout]

Hey everyone,

It's been a few weeks since I've logged in... just a lot of work and life lately.

I was catching up on the Q1 auto sales numbers that just dropped, and it’s a pretty wild market right now. With new EV sales taking a hit and the used market getting flooded with off-lease vehicles, the pricing landscape is definitely shifting.

I’m actually part of that off-lease wave. My EV lease ends this October, so I'm officially on the hunt for a "gap vehicle" to hold me over until the Scout arrives in 2028.

Given the market uncertainty, whatever I pick up this fall needs to be something I'd be comfortable keeping long-term, just in case the Scout final price tag ends up being higher than I'm willing to stomach.

Is anyone else in a similar boat needing a gap vehicle soon? Curious what you all are looking at to bridge the time.

My Rivian R1T lease doesn't end until March 2028, but I'm going to be well over mileage due to taking a new job so I'll be doing a lease buyout for sure. But with the R2 release eminent, I'm thinking the R2 is a perfect "gap vehicle" until the Scout's come out.

 

[cyure]

My Rivian R1T lease doesn't end until March 2028, but I'm going to be well over mileage due to taking a new job so I'll be doing a lease buyout for sure. But with the R2 release eminent, I'm thinking the R2 is a perfect "gap vehicle" until the Scout's come out.

This. This is transportation after all and we all need to get where we need to go. We all may not be able to wait to purchase a Scout and have to purchase something in between and that’s perfectly okay.

 

[tomgillotti]

I think you're missing something critical here and that is that the addition of the Harvester also greatly expands Scout's TAM (Total Addressable Market). So if the extra $1.2B allows them to sell a lot more vehicles then it's a good investment to grow the company and not a direct cost that must be made up on the already planned volume. The fact that both Ford and Chevy are shifting resources from BEVs to PHEVs (plus Scout's own reservation data) means they are on to something.

Not to get political, but I also do not think gas prices are going to be coming down any time soon. I do not expect electricity prices to rise nearly as much as natural gas prices will reman subdued (they are hard to transport and we have a lot of it in the US so that will keep prices low). I think this will drive more people to BEVs and PHEVs as the price per mile will be radically positive for electrification.

Requirements? Chevy is doing crazy deals on Equinox and Bolt EVs. The Bolt is a little small for my tastes but the Equinox is a good size and if you end up keeping it could be passed down to a kid when they start driving.

@strider, that is actually a really solid counterpoint. You are absolutely right that adding the Harvester drastically increases their Total Addressable Market (TAM).

If that $1.2B investment allows them to scale volume efficiently enough to offset the upfront CapEx, then the MSRP doesn't necessarily have to absorb the entire blow. I’ve been looking heavily at the immediate CapEx burden, and you are highlighting the long-term volume return. I genuinely hope your side of the equation wins out, because that benefits all of us holding reservations.

I also really appreciate the gap vehicle suggestions. I have a 13-year-old who will be getting his license right around the time the Scout is supposed to hit the road, so exploring those aggressive Chevy deals for a safe, pass-down vehicle is a fantastic backup plan.

To the others who mentioned the R2—I know a lot of people are excited about it, but I just can't get behind the price tag. To me, a $45k starting target for a smaller crossover is the epitome of how far the industry's baseline has drifted over the last six years. It feels overpriced for what it is (but I've already made my point on that).

Because of that, I am looking strictly at the used market to bridge the gap. I want to let someone else take the initial depreciation hit. I'm keeping a very close eye on the Ford F-150 Lightning market right now. My hope is that the prices on the Extended Range models continue to drop over the next few months, allowing me to grab one as a daily, around-town driver while we wait to see where Scout's final numbers land.

 

[R1TVT]

To the others who mentioned the R2—I know a lot of people are excited about it, but I just can't get behind the price tag.