Backed by Volkswagen, the automaker is constructing a massive manufacturing footprint in South Carolina that includes a dedicated supplier park to support vehicle assembly. Consumer preferences are overwhelmingly favoring extended-range hybrid options over pure battery-electric models, alongside strong interest in the SUV platform over the pickup truck. Management aims to build a 12-to-18-month order book by converting early interest into finalized purchases before customer handoffs start.
Key points
Full vehicle production is scheduled to begin next year, with initial customer deliveries…: Full vehicle production is scheduled to begin next year, with initial customer deliveries planned for 2028.
The company plans to prioritize mid-level trims and extended-range variants first to reac…: The company plans to prioritize mid-level trims and extended-range variants first to reach higher production volumes rapidly.
Management projects total reservations could top 400,000 units before customer production…: Management projects total reservations could top 400,000 units before customer production begins, but converting them to firm sales remains vital.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — Electric vehicle startup Scout Motors has notched roughly 212,000 reservations for its upcoming EVs as the company nears completion of its new $2 billion plant in South Carolina, CEO Scott Keogh told CNBC.
The reservations are for the Volkswagen-backed company's Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV, which are expected to start full production next year before deliveries begin to customers in 2028.
Reservations do not necessarily translate to sales, as the U.S. automotive industry has learned during the past decade, especially with highly anticipated all-electric trucks such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck and others that garnered strong interest that didn't lead to meaningful numbers of purchases.
Keogh said he expects Scout could roughly double those reservations by the time customer production begins, but he said the more important thing is to convert early interest into actual sales as production nears.
"It's been a consistent drumbeat," Keogh said during an interview at Scout's plant site outside Columbia, South Carolina. "I think we could easily be up over 400,000 with reservations without doing too much effort. The…
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