Volkswagen is Bringing Back the Scout as an Electric SUV
The Scout, a one-time competitor to Ford Broncos and Jeeps that was last sold more than four decades ago, is being resurrected by Volkswagen as a line of all-electric trucks and SUVs.
Scout will become its own separate brand offering off-road-oriented electric trucks and SUVs in North America. A Scout SUV and pickup truck are expected to go on sale around 2026.
“The vehicles will be designed, engineered, and manufactured in the U.S. for American customers,” the company said in a statement. “To this end, a separate, independent company will be established in the U.S. this year as the Volkswagen Group moves the strong iconic U.S.-brand Scout into the electric vehicle space.”
The first prototypes are set to be unveiled next year, the company added.
The Scout brand “will be a separate unit and brand within the Volkswagen Group to be managed independently,” Volkswagen CFO Arno Antlitz added in the statement.
The boxy Scout SUV was originally the product of International Harvester, a brand better known for farm equipment and commercial trucks. The Scout, produced from 1961 to 1980, was the truck-maker’s foray into the passenger vehicle market. The term “sport-utility vehicle” didn’t exist at the time, but the Scout helped define what would become the SUV market segment. It was also available as a pickup during that time.
