- Scout is constructing a $2 billion plant in South Carolina
- A part of the build-out contains the power to deal with contract manufacturing, or constructing automobiles for different automakers like VW
- This might assist fund Scout’s ventures and even end in cross-brand tech sharing sooner or later
Scout Motors, the off-road, U.S.-centric model spun off from Volkswagen, is on the point of root itself in South Carolina. When its $2 billion Palmetto State plant comes on-line in 2027, it is working to set the model up for fulfillment—and never simply with its personal two introductory vehicles.
See, Scout goes about this in a fairly good method. Seemingly not like Volkswagen, Scout has a spotlight in relation to EVs. It isn’t about creating home equipment, it is about creating a way of life product {that a} shopper really needs. And, positive, there’s going to be some tech sharing happening amongst mother or father and little one manufacturers, which is why Scout is hitting the health club early so it will possibly flex its manufacturing muscle tissue to the entire automotive trade.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
The Blythewood-based facility could have a three-phase launch. Based on Joern Petri, the automaker’s VP of Plant Launch, the primary part might be all about getting the doorways open and pumping out the Traveler SUV adopted by the Terra pickup. After it will get its footing, the plant will proceed to ramp up manufacturing to output round 200,000 automobiles per yr. And as soon as it does that? Nicely, that is the place issues get fascinating.
Scout truly constructed its plant with contract manufacturing in thoughts. That signifies that will probably be in a position to construct automobiles for different OEMs (like Volkswagen) out of the identical facility, permitting it to share its cool tech and instruments throughout manufacturers whereas serving to automakers meet U.S. manufacturing necessities for automobiles to qualify for the federal EV tax necessities with out the model constructing an entire new manufacturing unit by itself. A win-win, in the event you ask me.
“We arrange the manufacturing unit in a method that contract manufacturing is feasible for different VW manufacturers, or whoever is ,” stated Petri throughout a presentation late final month.
It additionally means a fast launch of every other fashions that Scout has deliberate sooner or later. I assume that is higher futureproofing than organising a bunch of tents, proper?
Scout’s plant can also be set as much as be fully modular. The already large plant is architected form of like Legos, that means that if the necessity for growth is there, the model can merely snap on some extra manufacturing unit and proceed constructing. The structure and land are each already there, so understanding that it will possibly double manufacturing capability on very quick discover must be a constructive for any automaker seeking to benefit from the model’s provide to deal with contract manufacturing.
All of that being stated, it is probably that Scout will not attain that time till nearer to the highest of the last decade. So whereas all OEMs proceed to get their battery-powered butts in gear, it is good to know that there are extra choices on the market to ramp up EV manufacturing. And if these vehicles end up half pretty much as good as the general public thinks they’ll, I am positive people would not thoughts a little bit of Scout beneath the hood.
