Update: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2:40 p.m. ET: A Scout Motors representative told The Drive that the company is still targeting “initial production” in 2027, but did not explicitly rule out the possibility of a delayed launch. The copy below has been updated with Scout’s most recent statement.
Scout Motors says it’s forging ahead in spite of reports that the company’s U.S. launch has been delayed. According to German newspaper Der Spiegel (Paywalled and requires translation), the company will hold off on production until at least 2028, citing a combination of “technical issues” (per an automated translation) and existing financial obligations.
When reached for comment Tuesday, a Scout Motors spokesperson told The Drive that the company had not shared any timing or product update announcements. In a follow-up email on Wednesday afternoon, Scout’s representative had this to say:
“When we revealed our concept vehicles, we shared that we are targeting initial production to begin in 2027 — and that customer deliveries would begin thereafter. That is still the case.”
“We will begin producing initial validation vehicles in 2026,” the spokesperson continued. “That effort will continue and mature into 2027. As with any ambitious project of this scale, there will be changes, but we are focused on delivering for the American consumer.”
Scout was originally branded as an all-electric revival of the SUV of the same name produced by International Harvester from the early 1960s until about 1980. A rapidly changing political and economic climate has forced Scout to backtrack on its initial all-electric pledge. Now, it seems likely that the majority of Scout’s trucks and SUVs will be range-extended models equipped with onboard gasoline generators.
The company chose an American location for its production facility largely to take advantage of the shelter provided by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was done away with by Congress in 2025.
The VW Group subsidiary has been given a long leash, being treated as an independent brand with more of a startup atmosphere than a traditional automaker. It is also the third major effort by Volkswagen to establish a production foothold in the United States. The first, a plant in Westmoreland, Penn., operated for a decade. The second was (and still is) the company’s highly successful Chattanooga facility, where the bulk of its mainstream U.S. models are now produced.
Scout Motors originally broke ground on its Blythewood, South Carolina facility in early 2024 and completed the bulk of the heavy construction in 2025 (though there’s still quite a bit more to go).
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h/t to Zerin!