- Scout is constructing a $2 billion plant in South Carolina
- A part of the build-out consists of the flexibility to deal with contract manufacturing, or constructing autos 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 brink 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 relatively good method. Seemingly in contrast to Volkswagen, Scout has a spotlight in the case of EVs. It isn’t about creating home equipment, it is about creating a way of life product {that a} client really needs. And, certain, there’s going to be some tech sharing occurring amongst father or mother and little one manufacturers, which is why Scout is hitting the fitness center early so it will possibly flex its manufacturing muscular tissues to the entire automotive business.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
The Blythewood-based facility may have a three-phase launch. Based on Joern Petri, the automaker’s VP of Plant Launch, the primary section will probably 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 autos per yr. And as soon as it does that? Properly, that is the place issues get fascinating.
Scout truly constructed its plant with contract manufacturing in thoughts. That implies that will probably be in a position to construct autos 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 autos to qualify for the federal EV tax necessities with out the model constructing a complete new manufacturing facility by itself. A win-win, for those who ask me.
“We arrange the manufacturing facility in a method that contract manufacturing is feasible for different VW manufacturers, or whoever is ,” mentioned 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 suppose that is higher futureproofing than organising a bunch of tents, proper?
Scout’s plant can be set as much as be fully modular. The already large plant is architected sort of like Legos, which means that if the necessity for enlargement is there, the model can merely snap on some extra manufacturing facility and proceed constructing. The format and land are each already there, so understanding that it will possibly double manufacturing capability on very quick discover needs to be a optimistic for any automaker seeking to benefit from the model’s provide to deal with contract manufacturing.
All of that being mentioned, 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 prove half nearly as good as the general public thinks they are going to, I am certain people would not thoughts a little bit of Scout below the hood.
