The gas tank needs to be bigger on the Harvester models

[JoeSchmoe]

I'm really excited that Scout is finally making a proper EREV truck and suv for the American market. I think Ford and GM should have launched their EV trucks with an EREV option from the beginning. The primary use case of my current Honda Ridgeline is to tow a small 14ft ,~2000 pound camper. It gets around 25 mpg normally on the highway and about 10-12 towing the trailer. High speed plus the aero drag of a trailer causes terrible fuel economy. We have high speed limits out west up to 80mph so I usually have to go at least 70 to not be run off the road. It has a 20 gallon gas tank which means I can only realistically go about 170 miles between fill ups while towing without getting super nervous especially if the gas stations are 30+ miles apart in the middle of nowhere.

If the EREV Scouts are going to get around 150 miles of EV range then 350 miles on the 15 gallon tank, that equates to 23mpg which should end up with the same 10-12 mpg when towing at highway speeds. The 15 gallon tank is really going to be a problem for longer drives. Sure I'd get about 75 miles towing in EV mode from the battery, but after that, if I'm just relying on gas for the rest of the trip, I only have a towing range of ~150-180 miles. You don't want to run until empty and with gas stations 30+ miles apart that makes your realistic towing range between stops close to 120 miles. This range limitation is already annoying in my gas truck with a 20 gallon tank. It's going to be much worse with only a 15 gallon tank. Having the gas can option is nice, but for regular trips, I don't want to have to pull over and use the gas can on the side of the road. That should only be for emergencies or extended off grid camping trips.

Please make the gas tank 25 gallons or bigger for those of us that tow.

 

[LonnyMacD]

It won't be linear.

Depends completely (just like an ICE vehicle) on how you drive and where you drive. The efficiency of the engine generator completely depends on the loads and use of the vehicle. The engine can be used at any time to help charge the battery - parked, highway driving, around town driving, and offroad driving. The need to use it completely depends on the current use. Likewise, how far you can drive will depend on usage and loads. We will have to certify the vehicle for the EPA tests, but much like the EPA test, there could be scenarios where you could go even farther than the advertised amount or it could be less if you are driving 100mph with a giant 10,000 lbs brick on a trailer up an 8% grade. If you drive around town, engine use will be minimal since power from the battery pack is minimal. If you are driving 80mph on the highway for 3 hours, the generator is going to work harder to stay ahead of demand since the vehicle uses a lot of energy to move that fast through head winds.

So analyzing all this based on a fuel tank size we don't know, with a generator size we don't know, and a battery pack size and chemistry we don't know and an engine efficiency we don't know is really futile. Trust though that this forum will be one of the first places to find out answers to some of these questions as suppliers and final specs are locked down.

. . . And again, this is why we love Jamie!!!

 

[LonnyMacD]

I'm really excited that Scout is finally making a proper EREV truck and suv for the American market. I think Ford and GM should have launched their EV trucks with an EREV option from the beginning. The primary use case of my current Honda Ridgeline is to tow a small 14ft ,~2000 pound camper. It gets around 25 mpg normally on the highway and about 10-12 towing the trailer. High speed plus the aero drag of a trailer causes terrible fuel economy. We have high speed limits out west up to 80mph so I usually have to go at least 70 to not be run off the road. It has a 20 gallon gas tank which means I can only realistically go about 170 miles between fill ups while towing without getting super nervous especially if the gas stations are 30+ miles apart in the middle of nowhere.

If the EREV Scouts are going to get around 150 miles of EV range then 350 miles on the 15 gallon tank, that equates to 23mpg which should end up with the same 10-12 mpg when towing at highway speeds. The 15 gallon tank is really going to be a problem for longer drives. Sure I'd get about 75 miles towing in EV mode from the battery, but after that, if I'm just relying on gas for the rest of the trip, I only have a towing range of ~150-180 miles. You don't want to run until empty and with gas stations 30+ miles apart that makes your realistic towing range between stops close to 120 miles. This range limitation is already annoying in my gas truck with a 20 gallon tank. It's going to be much worse with only a 15 gallon tank. Having the gas can option is nice, but for regular trips, I don't want to have to pull over and use the gas can on the side of the road. That should only be for emergencies or extended off grid camping trips.

Please make the gas tank 25 gallons or bigger for those of us that tow.

Welcome Joe! Remember what Jamie said. Nothing is linear & certainly nothing is set in stone until production is underway.