- The Volkswagen Group’s electrical revival of an iconic American truck model, Scout Motors, has drawn many comparisons to an identical 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 might even see on-line, a Scout isn’t a Rivian.
What an age of miracles we discover ourselves in. The web is the best device for disseminating info that humanity has ever created, nevertheless it additionally permits anyone to only 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 appropriate.
Because the current debut of two new electrical ideas from Scout Motors, the American truck and SUV model revived by the Volkswagen Group, we’ve seen various comparisons drawn to a different EV truck firm: Rivian.
The comparisons are truthful; Scout’s two idea automobiles bear a robust resemblance to Rivian’s first two automobiles, 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 scenario, particularly, appears to be drawing plenty 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.”
“Effectively, now we all know why Volkswagen is teaming up with Rivian.”
“Is not the Scout a rebadged Rivian?”
“The Scout Motors EV is absolutely only a Rivian with a fuel 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 comparable 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 automobiles and types will not be the identical. They don’t use the identical platform, are constructed (or slightly, will probably be constructed) somewhere else and will have significantly completely different value tags.
Does it really feel like a type of McDonald’s-McDowell’s scenario 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 temporary historical past of one of many extra promising EV startups on the market, California-based Rivian.
Folks neglect this right this moment, however Rivian truly launched method again in 2009 (and underneath a special title) 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 vans at a former Mitsubishi manufacturing facility in Regular, Ailing. Each automobiles boast glorious electrical vary, charming designs and legit off-road skills. The corporate additionally makes electrical vans for fleet use, initially for Amazon alone however now out there to any fleet buyer.
Second Gen Rivian R1T and R1S
Rivian’s EVs have garnered appreciable acclaim since then. Whereas the corporate right this moment 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 battle by the “valley of demise” that it is at the moment 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 having the ability to do issues with a clear sheet, vertically built-in strategy, one thing that conventional automakers who rely upon huge networks of out of doors components suppliers wrestle 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 largely 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 type 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 vans have been made by the Worldwide Harvester Firm, which was largely identified for agricultural and business automobiles, between 1960 and 1980. They have been easy, succesful machines that supplied loads of functionality. The unique Scouts are extremely coveted by off-roading fans even right this moment, as the corporate helped to pioneer that complete subject of automobiles.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
Scout Traveler and Terra Ideas
After an advanced sequence of gross sales and acquisitions, the VW Group ended up in possession of the Scout branding and logos (by way of the acquisition of Worldwide Harvester’s successor firm, Navistar, to complement VW’s different business truck manufacturers) in 2020. As Scout Motors’ CEO Scott Keogh instructed InsideEVs earlier this yr, that led to some discussions inside VW, which has lengthy struggled to garner the type of mainstream, quantity success in America that it enjoys in the remainder of the world. Furthermore, today, the VW Group is shedding floor shortly in China, so it must win large 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 wholly 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 unit Groundbreaking 2024 Official Images
However They’re Each Boxy, Electrical Vans And SUVs Aimed At Off-Roaders. How Are They Completely different?
That is definitely an comprehensible query, and I believe 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. Should you’re going for a boxy look whereas sustaining the aerodynamic design it’s good to construct a aggressive EV, it isn’t shocking that the top consequence seems like an present utilitarian, environment friendly electrical truck. However the two automobiles from Scout and Rivian are completely different.
The R1T vs. the Scout Terra.
Apart from predating the Scout automobiles 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 includes the teachings and cost-savings from the R1 automobiles. A Rivian spokesperson confirmed to InsideEVs that the R2 and R3 platform is “unrelated” to the upcoming Scout venture.
As I discussed earlier, Scout’s platform is a special animal. The automaker needed a really off-road succesful EV, so it is crafting a body-on-frame platform from the bottom up with a stable rear axle and entrance and rear mechanical lockers—identical to an old-school rock-crawling truck would have. Rivian’s automobiles don’t use locking differentials. Additionally they do not supply stable axles.
The variations go even deeper. Maybe most notably, the Scout fashions will supply a variety 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 anticipated to spice up the Scout EV’s vary from 350 miles to 500 miles. Rivian has not introduced any plans for a fuel vary extender, and on condition that it is at all times been an all-electric automaker, that appears slightly unlikely. Scout, nevertheless, has the benefit of doubtless pulling a fuel engine from the VW Group’s expansive household.
On the battery entrance, Rivian’s automobiles use cells from Samsung SDI in South Korea. CNBC studies that Scout’s batteries are anticipated to come back from VW’s three way partnership battery cell producer in Canada.
Photograph by: Scout Motors
Scout Terra Electrical Pickup Truck
That is not all. Apart from being in several value lessons—Rivian’s present automobiles begin round $75,000 and attain into the $100,000 vary, whereas the Scout EVs are aiming to begin round $60,000—there are two very completely different approaches to the person expertise at work right here. Rivian’s interfaces famously (maybe infamously, based mostly on our opinions) eschew conventional buttons for touchscreen controls, voice instructions and shortly, a clickwheel system mounted on the steering wheel to function numerous features.
Scout, however, purposely went large on buttons. The Scout ideas revealed final week have some good show items, positive, but in addition a row of bodily buttons, quantity knobs and steering wheel controls. Oh, and the Terra and Traveler will supply an non-compulsory bench seat as nicely, one other old-school throwback.
Lastly, the automobiles are completely different sizes. The Scout Traveler SUV is shorter than a Rivian R1S by about 10 inches, whereas Scout’s Terra truck is a couple of foot longer than an R1T.
So The place Do Rivian And Scout Intersect?
A superb 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 instructed InsideEVs that the automobiles might use the brand new zonal structure being developed by that partnership—however solely that one, not something at the moment in use by Rivian. “It is vital to separate Rivian, the automotive firm, from the three way partnership,” Keogh mentioned. “These are two very various things. Rivian the automotive firm, we’ve zero interplay with, completely nothing. However the three way partnership firm might doubtlessly [provide] the structure that’s on this car.”
That was confirmed on the opposite aspect of issues by Rivian Chief Software program Officer Wassym Bensaid at TechCrunch’s Disrupt 2024 convention this week. Here is what Bensaid needed to say:
[Scout] mentioned on the time that the automobiles would use a zonal structure — which means it will depend on only a handful of computer systems that management the features of some “zones” of {the electrical} structure. And the software program in Scout’s press photos appeared awfully much like what yow will discover in Rivian’s present automobiles, so Bensaid’s affirmation isn’t all that shocking. Bensaid burdened 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 mentioned. Bensaid additionally famous how a lot the Scout automobiles resemble Rivian’s general design sensibility, even outdoors of the software program. “That’s improbable,” he mentioned. “It’s nice validation of the Rivian product.”
And TechCrunch is appropriate that the software program proven within the Scout ideas does look very Rivian-ish. (Rivish?) Nevertheless, these automobiles are nonetheless simply ideas with manufacturing fashions at the very least three years away. Even when these automobiles share commonalities on the again finish that permit Scout to do issues Rivians can do, like over-the-air updates, it is extraordinarily doubtless each manufacturers will work to carve out their very own identities and distinctive interfaces once they truly hit the market.
So What Did We Be taught In the present day, Class?
In the long run, whereas Scout and Rivian are each coming to market with comparable merchandise, designs, general vibes and doubtless audiences, they aren’t the identical model or automotive.
I believe that what this ended up being is 2 completely different EV-oriented firms each coming to the identical conclusion about what American patrons love: large vans and SUVs. In their very own methods, they took benefit of the type of retro-truck allure that is extraordinarily in vogue proper now. Issues received 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 definitely 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 contemporary 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 doable that the ultimate manufacturing variations of the Scout automobiles might differ from these ideas not directly (although InsideEVs was instructed they’re extraordinarily near the ultimate designs) and we will not rule out some type of deepened tie-up between VW, Rivian and Scout sooner or later. For now, that is simply hypothesis.
However for those who suppose these two adventure-ready EVs are the identical factor, look somewhat deeper.
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