Scout Motors breaks ground on US facility where it will build its all-electric off-road trucks
Born again truck brand Scout Motors hit a significant milestone this morning, breaking ground in Blythewood, South Carolina, the site of its future US hub for electric truck production. We’re still a ways away from the public debut of Scout’s flagship model. Still, there’s a lot to be excited about, and the brand’s heritage is already garnering a loyal fanbase in full support of its all-electric transition.
Born again brand Scout Motors stems from a classic nameplate of off-road vehicles from the ’60s and ’70s built by International Harvester. While only about 530,000 Scout trucks were built during its 20-year production run, the early Jeep competitor… harvested a relatively small but passionate fanbase.
Today, it’s not difficult to find someone whose grandfather drove a Scout II or grew up seeing one around town – creating an impressive level of heritage and nostalgia for such a scarce fleet. Volkswagen Group is looking to capitalize off that heritage and revive the namesake for the modern, all-electric age.
In 2022, the Group confirmed it would revive the brand as an entirely electric marque that still delivers the rugged, off-road performance the original Scouts are still celebrated for. Following a recent partnership with Magna – no strangers to impressive electric performance on tough terrain, it’s clear that Scout Motors means business.
While we’ve only seen teaser renderings of Scout’s first two EV models in development, we know they will be built in the US. In March 2023, Scout and the Governor of South Carolina announced the Palmetto State would become the new home to the budding VW Group brand.
Scout has since expanded its US footprint in Novi, Michigan, where its electric trucks are currently being designed and developed, while a new Innovation Center is erected nearby. This morning, Scout officially broke ground on its South Carolina production facility ahead of an EV debut this year.
Build of Scout EV truck facilities now underway
Large trucks hummed in the background, leveling Blythewood, South Carolina’s iron-rich soil, as a crowd of local and state officials, media, and classic Scout enthusiasts gathered for the EV-centric automotive brand’s groundbreaking ceremony earlier today.
No shiny shovels, no hard hats, and no ceremonial digging – just a coming together of individuals from the automotive industry and South Carolina residents to join in the excitement for the opportunities the new facilities will provide.
As detailed above, Scout trucks are classic vehicles with a legacy, but the name, although noteworthy, was only its own brand once Volkswagen Group stepped in. Still, the legacy and constancy of the vehicles that led to today’s latest chapter are a massive part of Scout Motor’s company ethos.
For example, the land in Blythewood acquired by Scout was previously owned by the Swygert family, who lived there from 1961 to 2013. The red house that still sits on the property (seen above) was built by David Swygert, and the Scout team intends to keep it there.
The original Scout trucks from International Harvester were built in Fort Wayne, Indiana. So to pay homage to its roots in off-road builds, Scout Motors organized a cross-country rally of owners of the classic vehicles to transport a brick from the original plant to South Carolina to be part of the upcoming construction, with plenty of stops through mud, water, and rocky terrain along the way.
When construction is complete and at total efficiency, Scout expects the new facility to produce 200,000+ electric trucks per year – operating 40 EV jobs per hour. Being an all-electric brand, Scout’s Chief Production Officer, Dr. Jan Spies, says the company will rely on green energy alternatives to reach carbon neutrality while reducing key inhibitors such as energy and water usage.
Scout will debut two bespoke EVs this summer
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, the media got to sit down with Scout Motors President and CEO Scott Keogh to discuss the future of the young all-electric brand. From the get-go, Keogh expressed the advantage Scout Motors has as a clean slate that already has momentum in heritage, backed by the purchasing and production expertise of Volkswagen Group.
That said, Scout intends to do its own thing when it comes to EV development and design. Dr. Spies told us that the platform technology Scout’s first two trucks will sit atop is “not a twin, daughter, or brother” to any of the platforms currently used in the larger VW Group.
Spies said this bespoke platform gives Scout an advantage in terms of development speed and offers a beautiful opportunity to deliver a unique car for its environment. Keogh shared similar intentions when speaking to the young brand’s potential in the US market:
That’s what Scout does. It gives you a brand with credibility, it gives you the name with the character, and it allows us to plunge into the two biggest profit pools in America (pickups and SUVs). That’s the strategic intent, and that’s exactly what we’re executing.
I think the smart thing, though, is to structure the company with a clean slate as a startup, so you’re not inheriting the legacy challenges. A company which the (Volkswagen) Group is, of 660,000 employees is going to have a whole different series of systems and processes than a startup that right now has 350 employees. So I think that was the genius of this thing. It’s allowing us to execute at a good pace and good speed as opposed to always following the prescribed path.
Keogh sees Scout’s electric trucks as something other than a brand for one particular audience. We’ve been assured they’re badass and “robust,” designed to tackle the elements and stay true to the legacy of trucks that inspired it. The CEO imagines Scout’s image to become something similar to Levi’s as a “cool, iconic American brand.” They can be worn out to a nice sushi dinner in Malibu and on the dirt paths of a construction site.
That being said, if you think the Volkswagen Group sub-brand is just reviving a popular name from the ’70s, polishing it up, and electrifying it for consumers to get groceries in, that’s not the goal. Keogh elaborated:
In terms of our competitors, I think in my mind we want to make what we would call sort of a tribe community type of vehicle. Not a mainstream ‘just another SUV.’ Who has done a great job of this to give credit? I think certainly Bronco has done a good job of this, I think at the higher-end Defender has done a fantastic job of this; Wrangler obviously has its thing. So, the part will have a point of view but it’s definitely going to be more in the camp of ‘we’re not building something to navigate the strip malls of America,’ were building something like, ‘navigate America.’ So I think it’s going to be a community, cool oriented car.
Keogh relayed that the final design of its first two trucks is super close, with the engineering of the EVs not far behind. The young automaker intends to unveil both models this summer but told us production will require some cadence while the plant continues to scale. Which model will be built first has yet to be determined… or at least made public.
Scout will acquire battery cells from an outside supplier but intends to assemble its own modules in-house at the South Carolina facility. The company is still determining the most effective sales strategy for Scout Brand trucks and continues to explore all options.
We will learn more as the official debut of Scout’s first two electric trucks approaches in Q3. Stay tuned. Want to see more? Here’s Scout’s animated rendering of the incoming US facility:
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Hyundai has unveiled the design refresh of its Ioniq 6 sedan, and announced that it will become a family of cars rather than a single model, with an N Line trim and upcoming N performance model, much like its sister car the Ioniq 5.
Hyundai has been doing great with its EVs lately, hitting sales records and getting great reviews.
Much of that focus has been on the Ioniq 5, an attractive crossover SUV with lots of capability at a good price – and a bonkers N performance version which has been breaking different kinds of records.
The Ioniq 6, conversely, hasn’t attracted quite as much attention, even though it has some records of its own (it’s the most efficient vehicle in the US… for under $70k).
Between its admittedly odd looks – much more aerodynamic and rounded than the comparatively blocky 5 – and it fitting into the less-popular (but better) sedan form factor, it just hasn’t captured as much imagination as the 5.
It has also fallen somewhat behind. The Ioniq 5 got a big update this year, including a native NACS port, the first non-Tesla mass market vehicle to hit the road with one of these included (and it even charges faster than a Tesla does on home turf). The 6, however, is still sitting on its original design from when it first started production/shipping in 2022/23.
But that’s about to change, as Hyundai is giving the model some love with a design update and some hints at new things to come.
We’ve seen spy shots of these design updates before, but now Hyundai is showing them to everyone at the Seoul Mobility Show.
Hyundai showed two models today, the standard Ioniq 6 and the “N Line,” an upgraded trim level with some interior and exterior changes to look a little more sporty. Hyundai has used similar nomenclature for its other models, and that carries over here.
Both have a redesigned front end, making it look more aggressive than the prior bulbous and aerodynamic shape, and narrower headlights.
The N Line looks even more aggressive than the standard model, though, with an even more aggressive front and rear end.
Hyundai says that the redesign will also include interior enhancements for “a more comfortable, intuitive experience,” with a redesigned steering wheel, larger climate control display, upgraded materials and redesigned center console with more physical controls.
Beyond this, the refresh was light on details – intentionally, with a full unveil of specs and changes coming later. We can imagine a lot of the improvements on the 2025 Ioniq 5 will be carried over, such as a native NACS port for example, and potentially a slightly larger or faster-charging battery.
We had also previously heard hints that an N version (yes, “N” and “N Line” are different, no, we don’t know why they used these confusing names) of the Ioniq 6 is coming, and Hyundai reiterated those hints today – even giving us a glimpse of the car in the background of one of its shots.
Now THIS one looks quite aggressive, with a bigger double wing and potentially some changes to the diffuser (it’s hard to tell from the shot, as the N Line also has a modified diffuser).
The ioniq 5N has earned rave reviews from enthusiasts for its bonkers driving dynamics and comparatively reasonable price for a true performance vehicle. But it’s still an SUV format, and frankly, an SUV will never be a sportscar no matter how many horsepower you put into it (I will die on this hill).
The 6, however, with its sedan shape and footprint, could make for a much more compelling sports package once it’s all put together. So we’re very excited to see what Hyundai can do if they apply the same magic they put into the 5 into a new 6N. Looking forward to July.
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Over the next two years, homebuilder Lennar is outfitting more than 1,500 new Colorado homes with Dandelion Energy’s geothermal systems in one of the largest residential geothermal rollouts in the US.
The big draw for homeowners is lower energy bills and cleaner heating and cooling. Dandelion claims Lennar homeowners with geothermal systems will collectively save around $30 million over the next 20 years compared to using air-source heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps don’t need outdoor AC units or conventional heating systems, either.
Geothermal systems use the sustained temperature of the ground to heat or cool a home. A ground loop system absorbs heat energy (BTUs) from the earth so that it can be transferred to a heat pump and efficiently converted into warmth for a home. Dandelion says its ground loop systems are built to last for over 50 years and should require no maintenance.
Dandelion’s geothermal system uses a vertical ground closed-loop system that is installed using well-boring equipment and trenched back into the house to connect to a heat pump. The pipes circulate a mixture of water and propylene glycol, a food-grade antifreeze, that absorbs the ground’s temperature. A ground source heat pump circulates the liquid through the ground loops and it exchanges its heat energy in the heat pump with liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant is converted to vapor, compressed to increase its temperature, then passed through a heat exchanger to transfer heat to the air, which is circulated through a home’s HVAC ductwork.
Daniel Yates, Dandelion Energy’s CEO, called the partnership with Lennar a “new benchmark for affordable, energy-efficient, and high-quality home heating and cooling.” By streamlining its installation process, Dandelion is making geothermal systems simpler and cheaper for homebuilders and homeowners to adopt.
This collaboration is happening at a time when Colorado is pushing hard to meet its clean energy targets. Governor Jared Polis is excited about the move, calling it a win for Coloradans’ wallets, air quality, and the state’s leadership on geothermal energy. Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, said that “ensuring affordable access to geothermal heating and cooling is essential to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and we’re excited to be part of such a huge effort to bring this technology to so many new Colorado homes.”
And it’s not just about cutting emissions – geothermal heat pumps help reduce peak electric demand. Analysis from the Department of Energy found that widespread adoption of these systems could save the US from needing 24,500 miles of new transmission lines. That’s like crossing the continental US eight times.
Colorado is making this transition a lot more attractive through state tax credits and Xcel Energy’s rebate programs. These incentives slash upfront costs for builders like Lennar, making geothermal installations more financially viable. The utility’s Clean Heat Plan and electrification strategy are working to keep energy bills low while meeting climate goals.
Read more: This will be the first geothermal energy storage system on the Texas grid
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Polestar has removed the Polestar 2 from its US website header in an early sign of how new tariffs will restrict choice and competition for American consumers, thus increasing prices.
The Polestar 2 is Polestar’s first full EV – the original Polestar 1 was a limited-edition plug-in hybrid.
It started production in 2020 in Luqiao, Zhejiang, China, where Polestar and Volvo’s parent corporation, Geely, was founded.
And there’s the rub: while Polestar’s newer EV, the 3 (which we just drove the new single motor version of last week), is built in South Carolina, the 2 is not.
Unfortunately, that interacts with some news that has been getting a lot of play lately: tariffs.
The US has been gradually getting stupider and stupider on the issue of tariffs, apparently determined to increase prices for Americans and decrease the competitiveness of American manufacturing in a time of change for the auto industry.
It is widely acknowledged (by anyone who has given it a few seconds of thought) that tariffs increase prices and that trade barriers tend to reduce competition, leading to less innovation.
It started with 25% tariffs on various products from China, implemented in the 2018-2020 timeframe. Then, in 2024, President Biden implemented a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, effectively stopping their sale in the US. These tariffs included some exceptions and credits based on Volvo’s other US manufacturing, which Polestar had used to keep the most expensive versions of the 2 on sale in the US, while restricting the lower-priced versions from sale. Nevertheless, they were a bad idea.
Now, in yet another step to make America less competitive and inflate the prices of goods more for Americans, we got more tariff announcements today from a senile ex-reality TV host who wandered into the White House rose garden (which he does not belong in). These tariffs do not include the same exceptions as the previously-announced Biden tariffs.
Apparently this has all been enough for Polestar, as even in advance of today’s tariff announcements, the company suddenly removed its Polestar 2 from its website header today.
The change can be seen at polestar.com/us, where only the Polestar 3 and 4 are listed in the header area. On other sites, like the company’s Norwegian website or British website, the car is still there. The Polestar 2 page is still up on the US website, but it isn’t linked to elsewhere on the site (we’ll see how long it stays up).
We reached out to Polestar for comment, but didn’t hear anything back before publication. We’ll update if we do.
It makes sense that the Polestar 2 would still be for sale elsewhere, as it only started production in 2020. Most car models are available for at least 7 years, so this is an earlier exit than expected.
So it’s likely that all of the tariff news is what had an effect in killing the Polestar 2.
Then again, this is also just the second day of a new fiscal quarter. Perhaps the timing offers Polestar an opportunity to make a clean break – especially now that the lower-priced version of its Polestar 3 is available.
Despite the lower $67.5k base price of the new Polestar 3 variant, that represents a big increase in price for the brand, which had sold the base model Polestar 2 for around $50k originally, before all of these tariffs.
Update: Polestar got back to us with comment, but understandably, it doesn’t say much:
Polestar is a three-car company and Polestar 2 is available for customers now. There are a select number of Polestar 2s in stock at retailers that can be found on Polestar.com, but Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 will be the priority in the North American market.
Electrek’s Take
This isn’t the first car that America has been deprived of due to tariffs. The Volvo EX30, one of our most anticipated vehicles, and Electrek’s Vehicle of the Year for 2024, had its American availability pushed back due to tariffs.
Volvo decided to build the car in Belgium and export it to the US, but now that new tariffs apply to the EU as well, maybe that low-priced, awesome, fast, small EV will instead stay in Europe instead of being shipped overseas.
This shows how mercurial tariff fiats from an ignoramus are bad for manufacturing, as they mean that companies can’t make plans – and if they can’t make plans, eventually, they’ll probably just write the country making the random decisions out of their plans so they don’t have to deal with the nonsense.
And we’ve heard this from every businessperson or manufacturer representative we’ve talked to at any level of the automotive industry. Nobody thinks any of this is a good idea, because it objectively is not. All it does is make business harder, make the US less trustworthy, make things more expensive, and overall just harm America.
Yet another way that Americans are getting screwed by this stupid nonsense. 49% of you voted for inflation, and 100% of Americans are now getting it. Happy Inflation Day, everyone.
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