VW's Scout Motors will build its EV factory in South Carolina

Last week we heard that, despite rumors that it would go the contract manufacturing route, VW chose to build a new factory for its newly revived Scout brand, which is going to make pickup trucks and SUVs for the US market. And today, the VW offshoot itself announced the location.

Scout Motors will build its factory in South Carolina. It will be a $2 billion investment, and groundbreaking at the site is expected to take place in mid-2023, while production is projected to commence by the end of 2026. Scout says there's potential for 4,000 or more permanent jobs on site, and when the plant is at full capacity it will be able to churn out more than 200,000 Scout EVs per year.

South Carolina is the No.1 state in the US for export sales of both completed passenger vehicles and tires, housing over 500 automotive-related companies and 75,000 industry employees.

The site Scout chose spans approximately 1,600 acres, of which the plant itself will occupy 1,100 acres. It's in a strategic location close to Charleston, Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta.

Scout's pickups and SUVs will use a "newly designed all-electric platform that delivers credible capability and off-road prowess". Scout says it will "honor its heritage while injecting fresh American ingenuity to create a new era of iconic all-purpose vehicles".

VW is reviving the Scout brand in order to better compete in the EV space with American SUV and pickup truck brands. The original Scout was produced by International Harvester from 1960 to 1980, and it was "the world's first utility vehicle capable of both off-road adventure and family duty".