- The Volkswagen Group’s electrical revival of an iconic American truck model, Scout Motors, has drawn many comparisons to the same EV truck firm: Rivian.
- The VW Group and Rivian have a three way partnership to develop software program and electrical architectures collectively.
- Regardless of this, and regardless of what you may even see on-line, a Scout will not be a Rivian.
What an age of miracles we discover ourselves in. The web is the best instrument for disseminating info that humanity has ever created, however it additionally permits anyone to simply immediately broadcast no matter is on their thoughts at any given second, no matter how true it’s or not. That does result in the occasional little bit of misinformation that information shops like InsideEVs should right.
Because the latest debut of two new electrical ideas from Scout Motors, the American truck and SUV model revived by the Volkswagen Group, we have now observed quite a lot of comparisons drawn to a different EV truck firm: Rivian.
The comparisons are truthful; Scout’s two idea autos bear a robust resemblance to Rivian’s first two autos, the R1T truck and R1S SUV. And the strains between the 2 manufacturers are additional blurred by the truth that the Volkswagen Group and Rivian have not too long ago began working collectively.
Photograph illustration from InsideEVs.
However the latter state of affairs, particularly, appears to be drawing loads of confusion. Listed here are some emails, feedback and social media posts we have seen these days:
“I can not shake the thought that the Scout is not identical to a Rivian, however it’s a Rivian.”
“Nicely, now we all know why Volkswagen is teaming up with Rivian.”
“Is not the Scout a rebadged Rivian?”
“The Scout Motors EV is de facto only a Rivian with a gasoline generator, is not it?”
“Reskinned Rivian? VW owns Scout, VW and Rivian introduced a three way partnership…”
“So how a lot is Rivian making per every Scout EV bought? It’s clear they’ll be utilizing Rivian’s zonal structure.”
And so forth. However I am right here to hopefully clear this one up as soon as and for all: Whereas Scout and Rivian have related designs and can most likely compete for a similar buyer, and Scout will use the brand new electrical structure that VW is co-developing with Rivian, the 2 autos and types should not the identical. They don’t use the identical platform, are constructed (or quite, shall be constructed) elsewhere and may have significantly totally different worth tags.
Does it really feel like a sort of McDonald’s-McDowell’s state of affairs for the electrical car world? Sure, which might be unlucky for each manufacturers. However there is definitely room within the area for each, and no matter technological intersection exists between the 2 will most likely profit them each. Let’s dig in.
Let’s Begin With Rivian
We’ll start with an especially transient historical past of one of many extra promising EV startups on the market, California-based Rivian.
Folks overlook this immediately, however Rivian truly launched means again in 2009 (and underneath a distinct identify) with the aim of making a hybrid, mid-engine sports activities automotive. That concept was shelved, however by 2022, Rivian was making the R1S and R1T electrical journey vehicles at a former Mitsubishi manufacturing facility in Regular, Ailing. Each autos boast wonderful electrical vary, charming designs and legit off-road skills. The corporate additionally makes electrical vans for fleet use, initially for Amazon alone however now obtainable to any fleet buyer.
Second Gen Rivian R1T and R1S
Rivian’s EVs have garnered appreciable acclaim since then. Whereas the corporate immediately has a large money pile, it’s nonetheless coping with the instability and tough path to long-term profitability that makes being a newcomer within the auto trade such a gargantuan job. Ought to it efficiently combat by way of the “valley of loss of life” that it is presently in, Rivian is because of launch a sequence of extra reasonably priced, mainstream EVs by the top of this decade: the smaller R2 crossover and extra compact R3 and R3X.
However Rivian has the benefit of with the ability to do issues with a clear sheet, vertically built-in strategy, one thing that conventional automakers who rely upon huge networks of outdoor components suppliers battle with. This in-house strategy, as soon as pioneered by Tesla, has made Rivian right into a burgeoning software program energy participant too. The world took discover of that when Rivian and the Volkswagen Group (which has struggled mightily on the know-how entrance because it seeks a principally electrical future) inked a $5 billion deal to co-develop software program and electrical architectures collectively. That deal is giving Rivian the money it must proceed R&D and scale up operations, whereas VW is getting the sort of software program and tech experience it must be aggressive sooner or later.
What About Scout Motors?
Scout’s historical past truly goes again many many years. The SUVs and vehicles had been made by the Worldwide Harvester Firm, which was principally identified for agricultural and industrial autos, between 1960 and 1980. They had been easy, succesful machines that provided loads of functionality. The unique Scouts are extremely coveted by off-roading lovers even immediately, as the corporate helped to pioneer that total area of autos.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
Scout Traveler and Terra Ideas
After a sophisticated sequence of gross sales and acquisitions, the VW Group ended up in possession of the Scout branding and emblems (by way of the acquisition of Worldwide Harvester’s successor firm, Navistar, to complement VW’s different industrial truck manufacturers) in 2020. As Scout Motors’ CEO Scott Keogh advised InsideEVs earlier this 12 months, that led to some discussions inside VW, which has lengthy struggled to garner the sort of mainstream, quantity success in America that it enjoys in the remainder of the world. Furthermore, lately, the VW Group is shedding floor rapidly in China, so it must win massive within the U.S.
That yielded a daring plan to relaunch the Scout Motors model, and never as some re-badged ID.4 or Audi Q8 E-Tron however with a completely new platform and a brand new manufacturing facility in South Carolina to reap the benefits of tax incentives from the Inflation Discount Act.
Scout Motors Manufacturing facility Groundbreaking 2024 Official Pictures
However They’re Each Boxy, Electrical Vans And SUVs Aimed At Off-Roaders. How Are They Completely different?
That is actually an comprehensible query, and I feel the Scout Terra truck particularly bears an uncanny and maybe uncomfortable resemblance to the R1T. We at all times knew the Scout was going to be boxy and utilitarian wanting, as that is how Scouts have at all times been. When you’re going for a boxy look whereas sustaining the aerodynamic design you’ll want to construct a aggressive EV, it isn’t shocking that the top outcome seems to be like an present utilitarian, environment friendly electrical truck. However the two autos from Scout and Rivian are totally different.
The R1T vs. the Scout Terra.
In addition to predating the Scout autos by years (they will not even go on sale till 2027 on the earliest) the Rivian R1S and R1T use a platform, motors and software program all made in-house. The upcoming Rivian R3, R3X and R2 will use a brand new Rivian “midsize” platform as nicely that comes with the teachings and cost-savings from the R1 autos. A Rivian spokesperson confirmed to InsideEVs that the R2 and R3 platform is “unrelated” to the upcoming Scout undertaking.
As I discussed earlier, Scout’s platform is a distinct animal. The automaker needed a very off-road succesful EV, so it is crafting a body-on-frame platform from the bottom up with a strong rear axle and entrance and rear mechanical lockers—identical to an old-school rock-crawling truck would have. Rivian’s autos don’t use locking differentials. In addition they do not provide strong axles.
The variations go even deeper. Maybe most notably, the Scout fashions will provide a spread extender possibility known as the “Harvester,” which is solely a gasoline engine designed to solely recharge the electrical battery. Whereas it doesn’t energy the wheels in any respect, the engine is predicted to spice up the Scout EV’s vary from 350 miles to 500 miles. Rivian has not introduced any plans for a gasoline vary extender, and provided that it is at all times been an all-electric automaker, that appears quite unlikely. Scout, nevertheless, has the benefit of probably pulling a gasoline engine from the VW Group’s expansive household.
On the battery entrance, Rivian’s autos use cells from Samsung SDI in South Korea. CNBC stories that Scout’s batteries are anticipated to return from VW’s three way partnership battery cell producer in Canada.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
Scout Terra Electrical Pickup Truck
That is not all. In addition to being in numerous worth courses—Rivian’s present autos begin round $75,000 and attain into the $100,000 vary, whereas the Scout EVs are aiming to start out round $60,000—there are two very totally different approaches to the consumer expertise at work right here. Rivian’s interfaces famously (maybe infamously, based mostly on our critiques) eschew conventional buttons for touchscreen controls, voice instructions and shortly, a clickwheel system mounted on the steering wheel to function numerous capabilities.
Scout, then again, purposely went massive on buttons. The Scout ideas revealed final week have some good show models, positive, but additionally a row of bodily buttons, quantity knobs and steering wheel controls. Oh, and the Terra and Traveler will provide an non-compulsory bench seat as nicely, one other old-school throwback.
Lastly, the autos are totally different sizes. The Scout Traveler SUV is shorter than a Rivian R1S by about 10 inches, whereas Scout’s Terra truck is a few foot longer than an R1T.
So The place Do Rivian And Scout Intersect?
A wonderful query, and one which’s come up not too long ago. And this truly does converse to that Volkswagen-Rivian tie-up that is within the works.
On the Scout idea debut, Keogh advised InsideEVs that the vehicles may use the brand new zonal structure being developed by that partnership—however solely that one, not something presently in use by Rivian. “It is vital to separate Rivian, the automotive firm, from the three way partnership,” Keogh stated. “These are two very various things. Rivian the automotive firm, we have now zero interplay with, completely nothing. However the three way partnership firm may probably [provide] the structure that’s on this car.”
That was confirmed on the opposite facet of issues by Rivian Chief Software program Officer Wassym Bensaid at TechCrunch’s Disrupt 2024 convention this week. This is what Bensaid needed to say:
[Scout] stated on the time that the autos would use a zonal structure — which means it could depend on only a handful of computer systems that management the capabilities of some “zones” of {the electrical} structure. And the software program in Scout’s press photographs appeared awfully much like what you’ll find in Rivian’s present autos, so Bensaid’s affirmation will not be all that shocking. Bensaid careworn on the Disrupt stage that every model that makes use of the three way partnership’s software program will “proceed to have their very own identification,” in addition to “their very own options.”
“We’re enabling competitors,” he stated. Bensaid additionally famous how a lot the Scout autos resemble Rivian’s general design sensibility, even exterior of the software program. “That’s improbable,” he stated. “It’s nice validation of the Rivian product.”
And TechCrunch is right that the software program proven within the Scout ideas does look very Rivian-ish. (Rivish?) Nevertheless, these autos are nonetheless simply ideas with manufacturing fashions a minimum of three years away. Even when these autos share commonalities on the again finish that enable Scout to do issues Rivians can do, like over-the-air updates, it is extraordinarily possible each manufacturers will work to carve out their very own identities and distinctive interfaces after they truly hit the market.
So What Did We Study Right this moment, Class?
In the long run, whereas Scout and Rivian are each coming to market with related merchandise, designs, general vibes and possibly audiences, they aren’t the identical model or automotive.
I feel that what this ended up being is 2 totally different EV-oriented firms each coming to the identical conclusion about what American patrons love: massive vehicles and SUVs. In their very own methods, they took benefit of the sort of retro-truck appeal that is extraordinarily in vogue proper now. Issues bought considerably difficult by the software program and tech team-up behind the scenes, however given what we have reported on Scout Motors’ growth timeline, that actually did not appear to be the plan all alongside.
Furthermore, Scout’s goal debut date of 2027 can really feel like 500 years from now within the fast-moving world of recent EVs. We’re basing all of this on preliminary impressions, early official plans from each automakers and what we learn about the place each manufacturers are at in late 2024. It is completely potential that the ultimate manufacturing variations of the Scout autos may differ from these ideas not directly (although InsideEVs was advised they’re extraordinarily near the ultimate designs) and we will not rule out some sort of deepened tie-up between VW, Rivian and Scout sooner or later. For now, that is simply hypothesis.
However in the event you suppose these two adventure-ready EVs are the identical factor, look just a little deeper.
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