Scout Motors, Volkswagen’s rugged American EV brand, has broken ground on its brand-new production facility in South Carolina. Production of the off-road capable pickup truck and SUV is targeted to begin by the end of 2026, with a market launch soon after. But the models will already be revealed this summer.

Scout Motors is the revival of the International Harvest Scout, a Jeep and Ford Bronco competitor built from 1960 to 1980. Volkswagen acquired the brand name in 2020 and decided to launch a new offensive on the US market with it, capitalizing on the cult status of the original model.

The groundbreaking ceremony was even anticipated by the owners of the original model, who took a cross-country road trip to transport a brick from the original factory to be used in the new site.

New platform for rugged electric pickup trucks and SUVs?

Not much is yet known about the two models that Scout will initially build, only that they’re a full-size SUV and pickup truck based on a new EV platform, which “does not have any relation to any of the currently used platforms by the VW Group,” according to Jan Spies, Chief Production Officer at Scout Motors, as reported by Electrek.

Volkswagen wants to recapture the love and loyalty from customers that the original Scout did, which CEO Scott Keogh admits others in the market are also currently achieving, with the Ford Bronco, Land Rover Defender, and Jeep Wrangler as examples.

200,000 vehicles per year, launching in 2026

We also know that the 1,600-acre site in Blythewood, South Carolina, will be operational by the end of 2026, with sales following soon after. Scout plans to build 200,000 vehicles annually, although the brand does not say when it intends to achieve this goal.

However, we won’t have to wait until 2026 to get details on Scout’s new models. The final design is nearly finished, and both models will be unveiled this summer. At that point, details on the technical side of this ‘new’ platform should also come.