- 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 automobiles for different automakers like VW
- This might assist fund Scout’s ventures and even lead to 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 vans.
See, Scout goes about this in a reasonably sensible means. Seemingly in contrast to Volkswagen, Scout has a spotlight in terms of EVs. It isn’t about creating home equipment, it is about creating a life-style product {that a} client really needs. And, certain, there’s going to be some tech sharing happening amongst dad or mum and baby manufacturers, which is why Scout is hitting the gymnasium early so it could flex its manufacturing muscle tissues to the entire automotive trade.
Picture by: Scout Motors
The Blythewood-based facility may have a three-phase launch. In keeping with 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 automobiles per 12 months. 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 implies that it is going to be capable of 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 a complete new manufacturing facility by itself. A win-win, in case you ask me.
“We arrange the manufacturing facility in a means 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 some other fashions that Scout has deliberate sooner or later. I suppose that is higher futureproofing than establishing a bunch of tents, proper?
Scout’s plant can 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 facility and proceed constructing. The format and land are each already there, so figuring out that it could double manufacturing capability on very quick discover ought to be a constructive for any automaker seeking to benefit from the model’s supply to deal with contract manufacturing.
All of that being stated, it is doubtless 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 vans end up half pretty much as good as the general public thinks they’ll, I am certain of us would not thoughts a little bit of Scout below the hood.
