Extra, Extra....Read All About It!
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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.
Made a Thread on that! Super cool. Will be the first car in Europe to get it.
I had a feeling it was brought up, but i wasn’t able to find the thread lol.
Same. Back when I sold cars briefly in the early 2000s Kia was a low quality, cheap car that was kind of a joke.
Over the last 20 years, they have really made a serious effort to improve their quality and reliability. Now they are making some legit nice cars.
The EV9 is actually a really nice car for the money. It's still not cheap, but try to find another 3 row EV SUV and you're going to spend around $15k - $20k more.
I just made my last payment on my Tundra, and I'm trying to resist the urge to do a 2 year lease on an EV9 to get me through till my Scout rolls off the line. Kia is offering a $10k rebate on purchases and leases on the EV9 right now to make up for the fact that it doesn't qualify for the federal tax credit. I just called the local Kia dealer this morning and got numbers on a lease. Resist the urge. Resist the urge...
Not that easy to shut that down using the federal EPA, the EPA, from an emergency response standpoint, is not likely to entertain this as it's not a hazardous substance, oil, or pollutant. This is best handled through your municipality/burrow's building inspectors and your states environmental protection group. What you're dealing with is simple erosion and sediment control prevention or lack thereof, and it's best handled at the local level through notices of violations and fines, if repeat inspections show failure to mitigate runoff into the local creeks and estuaries.
Meet the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss and 1,100 hp ZR2 electric race truck concept
electrek.co
Meet the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss and 1,100 hp ZR2 electric race truck concept
The Silverado EV just got the ZR2 treatment. With its first off-road electric truck arriving this summer, the Silverado EV...
electrek.co
It may just be me but I’m not really a fan of the styling on most of the ev trucks and suvs. I think scout has done the best with their designs
Why did Chevy make these look like the Avalanche???Meet the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss and 1,100 hp ZR2 electric race truck concept
View attachment 5443
Meet the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss and 1,100 hp ZR2 electric race truck concept
The Silverado EV just got the ZR2 treatment. With its first off-road electric truck arriving this summer, the Silverado EV...
I think they was jumping on the unibody ev truck bandwagon. I’m kind of seeing some cyber truck mixed as well.
Rivian (RIVN) confirms R2 is coming soon and will take the EV brand global
Rivian (RIVN) is betting big on its upcoming midsize R2 electric SUV. Starting at about $45,000, the R2 is about...
electrek.co
Unibody’s are becoming more popular since they are less material than a body on frame. Personally Scout doing body on frame is really smart for a bunch of reasons.
Yeah the lengths manufacturers go to save a nickel is crazy. Personally a unibody is fine for most smaller vehicles but once you get to a full size i think body on frame is better.
Can I be nosy and ask how much the lease is? I’m only 1-1/2 years in on my accord and paid it off “downsizing) from my Acura TLX type S (I really miss that car some days ?) so no way I’m gonna lease anything or spend new money but if I had to buy or lease an EV SUV tomorrow I’d consider it.
Funny enough it says Unibody cost less but is more expensive when body repairs due to the fact that rust can spread faster. And Body on frame is more expensive but repairs is cheaper.
Yeah unibody is great for cheap low cost vehicle’s (even though none exist anymore). But you are right they rust fast in the event of an accident it can cost much more to repair. Body on frame is a great platform from a longevity and repairability standpoint.
Sure. The numbers he gave me are based on full MSRP of $66,485 for the Wind trim level which is the lowest priced AWD trim. I haven't even started negotiating the cap cost down from MSRP yet because like I said, I'm trying to resist the urge. He gave me numbers of $690-$702 for a monthly payment on a 24 month lease with just the first payment down assuming a money factor of 0.00085 (tier 1 credit).
https://www.landxmotors.com/
This reminds me of Nikola Motors. I’m guessing they will be out of business soon too? It’s the CEO of Lordstownmotors, which went bankrupt. He bought out the company and is starting all over again. I guess this is what happens When a CEO gets cocky with his/hers paycheck that the company can’t handle yet.
This reminds me of Nikola Motors. I’m guessing they will be out of business soon too? It’s the CEO of Lordstownmotors, which went bankrupt. He bought out the company and is starting all over again. I guess this is what happens When a CEO gets cocky with his/hers paycheck that the company can’t handle yet.
There is a you tube channel, driving 4 answers, that has a pretty good review of the Sytech Scotch Yoke engine and covers the engine balancing. According to the information on Sytech's site and also covered in the video, the engine is being designed specifically for use as a range extender. Their 4 cylinder engine design seems well suited for use in the Scout Harvester, given the compact size and projected power output. If they start production later this year, they will have 2 years of and real world performance to further refine their design prior to being used in the Harvester.
Canoo's CEO is buying the bankrupt EV startup's assets | TechCrunch
The CEO of Canoo is buying nearly all of the defunct EV startup's assets out of bankruptcy, according to a court filing. A new entity controlled by the
techcrunch.com
Bloomberg Hyperdrive has an article about Scout vs Dealers. It gets sent as email so no link but here’s the text (visual has good summary of state laws):
When second-generation car dealer Marc White learned a new Volkswagen electric-vehicle line was set to be produced in his home state of South Carolina, he hoped to be among the very first to start selling the cars. He approached the company, offering to build a $10 million showroom on a prime piece of local property at his own expense to showcase the models — and was turned down flat.
That’s when White discovered VW plans to cut out the middlemen like him and sell its Scout Motors pickups and SUVs directly to consumers when they go on sale in 2027.
“They obviously feel like they can do it better, or maybe less expensive,” says White, 45. His family has been selling VWs for more than 60 years, starting with Marc’s late father, Steve, under whose name the dealership group still operates. His teenage son, who only just got his driver’s license, is eager to sell cars there someday, too. So White is fighting back, testifying to the state legislature that allowing the direct-to-consumer sales could put the livelihoods of his 150 employees at risk.
A Scout Motors reveal event in Franklin, Tennessee. Source: Scout Motors
For about as long as US drivers have been buying cars, they’ve been doing it through dealers, who distribute vehicles and allow in-person customers to do trade-ins, access financing and negotiate prices. But they also eat into carmakers’ profits, and some manufacturers are anxious to break free. Among the first to sell cars directly to consumers were then-upstart EV companies such as Tesla, which famously built its own showrooms instead of establishing a dealer network. Now, legacy automakers including VW and Honda are taking their first stab at direct sales with new EV brands.
If successful, they could upend the long-entrenched dealership industry, which Cox Automotive estimates sold $627 billion worth of new vehicles last year. But carmakers trying to sell straight to drivers face fierce resistance from dealers, who tend to be well financed, politically connected and protected by a thicket of state franchise laws that preserve their way of doing business.
“Dealers don’t want direct sales to happen, because they have no interest in letting that dam break,” says Alexander Edwards, president of San Diego-based Strategic Vision, which surveys consumers and consults with automakers. “They want to keep their money flowing.”
In South Carolina, direct-to-consumer auto sales aren’t actually legal, and an effort by the state legislature to change that has stalled following opposition from dealers, including White. Dealerships in California and Florida have also taken legal action to block VW from pursuing direct sales of the new brand.
For now, Scout’s reservation process looks much like that of any other consumer product. Consumers can go online, select either its sport utility vehicle or truck, choose between an all-electric or a range-extending plug-in hybrid, then fill in their credit card information to put down a $100 refundable deposit. But that only gives the buyer a place in line, because the actual sale won’t be completed until Scout models go on sale in two years.
“It should be that you can buy a vehicle in minutes on your sofa,” says Cody Thacker, Scout’s vice president for commercial operations. “It all should be as easy as buying a T-shirt on Amazon.”
Buyers in California can also reserve online the new EV that Honda developed through a joint venture with electronics giant Sony ahead of its launch next year. Shugo Yamaguchi, the chief executive officer of the JV, says the purchase process will be “a breeze without any hassle.”
Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela 1 Signature EV at the Grammy Awards last month. Source: Sony Honda Mobility
Dealers usually make a percentage from each vehicle sold, and top-end models tend to draw prospective buyers into showrooms, so the decision to sell directly to consumers hurts even more on a pricey model. Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela 1 Signature EV starts at $102,900.
“Honda should understand that any misguided attempt to bypass or undercut its US dealers will be challenged in statehouses and courthouses across the country,” Mike Stanton, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said in a statement.
Dave Robinson, an executive at auto researcher Edmunds in Spokane, Washington, bought a Tesla Cybertruck last summer and relished the ease of the process and the transparent pricing from buying online. “I liked not having to spend half my Saturday in a dealership” and feeling like the salespeople were talking to “the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain while I’m waiting in the finance office,” the 44-year-old says. “Never again am I setting foot in a dealership.”
Of course, not everyone wants to buy a car without visiting a dealership. Before a major outlay, many shoppers want to kick the tires and take test drives, which is why Scout is planning to open 25 locations in 16 major markets when it premieres in two years. But don’t call them dealerships — some will be showrooms in malls, while others will be standalone Scout “workshops,” with show floors up front and service bays in the back. The workshops will look a little like a dealership, but customers will finish the transaction online.
A rendering of Scout’s experience centers. The company is aiming to open 25 locations in 16 markets in the next two years. Source: Scout Motors
Although these kinds of changes require some investments, they also eliminate the cost of franchised dealers, potentially allowing for greater profits. Tesla’s direct sales helped it earn an extra $2,000 to $4,000 per car, industry executives estimate.
Dealers, for their part, have been trying to make the car-buying process less painful by digitizing parts of the process, including allowing for price negotiation via text or online chat. Still, car salespeople consistently rank toward the bottom of Americans’ most trusted occupations, alongside lobbyists and members of Congress.
“Car dealers are not all bad,” says White, the South Carolina dealer. “We do bring some value to the table.”
Although drivers are increasingly open to shopping for cars online, only about 5% actually click “buy,” a January survey from Cox found. That’s partly due to limited purchasing options to date, but also because cars are big-ticket purchases that consumers make only occasionally. Many don’t mind taking it a little more slowly.
“People say that they want to buy a car with one click,” says Erin Keating, a senior director of economics and industry insights at Cox. “The minute they get into monthly payments of $500 or more, and you’re spending $50,000 on something, the quicker you see them saying, ‘I might actually want to talk to someone.’”
When second-generation car dealer Marc White learned a new Volkswagen electric-vehicle line was set to be produced in his home state of South Carolina, he hoped to be among the very first to start selling the cars. He approached the company, offering to build a $10 million showroom on a prime piece of local property at his own expense to showcase the models — and was turned down flat.
That’s when White discovered VW plans to cut out the middlemen like him and sell its Scout Motors pickups and SUVs directly to consumers when they go on sale in 2027.
“They obviously feel like they can do it better, or maybe less expensive,” says White, 45. His family has been selling VWs for more than 60 years, starting with Marc’s late father, Steve, under whose name the dealership group still operates. His teenage son, who only just got his driver’s license, is eager to sell cars there someday, too. So White is fighting back, testifying to the state legislature that allowing the direct-to-consumer sales could put the livelihoods of his 150 employees at risk.
A Scout Motors reveal event in Franklin, Tennessee. Source: Scout Motors
For about as long as US drivers have been buying cars, they’ve been doing it through dealers, who distribute vehicles and allow in-person customers to do trade-ins, access financing and negotiate prices. But they also eat into carmakers’ profits, and some manufacturers are anxious to break free. Among the first to sell cars directly to consumers were then-upstart EV companies such as Tesla, which famously built its own showrooms instead of establishing a dealer network. Now, legacy automakers including VW and Honda are taking their first stab at direct sales with new EV brands.
If successful, they could upend the long-entrenched dealership industry, which Cox Automotive estimates sold $627 billion worth of new vehicles last year. But carmakers trying to sell straight to drivers face fierce resistance from dealers, who tend to be well financed, politically connected and protected by a thicket of state franchise laws that preserve their way of doing business.
“Dealers don’t want direct sales to happen, because they have no interest in letting that dam break,” says Alexander Edwards, president of San Diego-based Strategic Vision, which surveys consumers and consults with automakers. “They want to keep their money flowing.”
In South Carolina, direct-to-consumer auto sales aren’t actually legal, and an effort by the state legislature to change that has stalled following opposition from dealers, including White. Dealerships in California and Florida have also taken legal action to block VW from pursuing direct sales of the new brand.
For now, Scout’s reservation process looks much like that of any other consumer product. Consumers can go online, select either its sport utility vehicle or truck, choose between an all-electric or a range-extending plug-in hybrid, then fill in their credit card information to put down a $100 refundable deposit. But that only gives the buyer a place in line, because the actual sale won’t be completed until Scout models go on sale in two years.
“It should be that you can buy a vehicle in minutes on your sofa,” says Cody Thacker, Scout’s vice president for commercial operations. “It all should be as easy as buying a T-shirt on Amazon.”
Buyers in California can also reserve online the new EV that Honda developed through a joint venture with electronics giant Sony ahead of its launch next year. Shugo Yamaguchi, the chief executive officer of the JV, says the purchase process will be “a breeze without any hassle.”
Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela 1 Signature EV at the Grammy Awards last month. Source: Sony Honda Mobility
Dealers usually make a percentage from each vehicle sold, and top-end models tend to draw prospective buyers into showrooms, so the decision to sell directly to consumers hurts even more on a pricey model. Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela 1 Signature EV starts at $102,900.
“Honda should understand that any misguided attempt to bypass or undercut its US dealers will be challenged in statehouses and courthouses across the country,” Mike Stanton, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said in a statement.
Dave Robinson, an executive at auto researcher Edmunds in Spokane, Washington, bought a Tesla Cybertruck last summer and relished the ease of the process and the transparent pricing from buying online. “I liked not having to spend half my Saturday in a dealership” and feeling like the salespeople were talking to “the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain while I’m waiting in the finance office,” the 44-year-old says. “Never again am I setting foot in a dealership.”
Of course, not everyone wants to buy a car without visiting a dealership. Before a major outlay, many shoppers want to kick the tires and take test drives, which is why Scout is planning to open 25 locations in 16 major markets when it premieres in two years. But don’t call them dealerships — some will be showrooms in malls, while others will be standalone Scout “workshops,” with show floors up front and service bays in the back. The workshops will look a little like a dealership, but customers will finish the transaction online.
A rendering of Scout’s experience centers. The company is aiming to open 25 locations in 16 markets in the next two years. Source: Scout Motors
Although these kinds of changes require some investments, they also eliminate the cost of franchised dealers, potentially allowing for greater profits. Tesla’s direct sales helped it earn an extra $2,000 to $4,000 per car, industry executives estimate.
Dealers, for their part, have been trying to make the car-buying process less painful by digitizing parts of the process, including allowing for price negotiation via text or online chat. Still, car salespeople consistently rank toward the bottom of Americans’ most trusted occupations, alongside lobbyists and members of Congress.
“Car dealers are not all bad,” says White, the South Carolina dealer. “We do bring some value to the table.”
Although drivers are increasingly open to shopping for cars online, only about 5% actually click “buy,” a January survey from Cox found. That’s partly due to limited purchasing options to date, but also because cars are big-ticket purchases that consumers make only occasionally. Many don’t mind taking it a little more slowly.
“People say that they want to buy a car with one click,” says Erin Keating, a senior director of economics and industry insights at Cox. “The minute they get into monthly payments of $500 or more, and you’re spending $50,000 on something, the quicker you see them saying, ‘I might actually want to talk to someone.’”
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