Scout Motors - Reveal of Traveler SUV and Terra Truck

[FJinTegaCay]

Scout Motors
World Premier on YouTube

Scout Motors revealed their first two vehicles on Thursday, 10/25/24. These EVs will be manufactured at a plant not far from me, in Blythewood, SC, north of Columbia. I was surprised to see they were offering a "Harvester" option, where the battery size is reduced and you get a gas generator which is predicted to give you an extra 150 miles of range. I was even more surprised there would be bench seat options for both!

Much like the FJ40s, I've always liked the looks of the vintage Scouts. I think they did a good job of having the Traveler and Terra pay homage to the originals.

I've not had the time to do a deep dive, and even if I did, I feel in no way qualified to compare it to vehicles that are already on the market (ex. Rivian). It sounds like they were designed to be off-road capable (solid rear axle, locking diffs, great clearance, sway bar disconnect). Did they do their homework like Ford and Toyota for the Bronco and LC 250? I'm doubtful.

Much like the thread there was for the Bronco, I know I'd enjoy hearing the thoughts of the group.

 

[lt1fire]

They are pretty cool

 

[little_joe]

Love the range extender (gas engine to solely charge batteries). But you gotta look up the dimensions, as configured they are huge. The SUV with the rear-mounted spare is as long as a Suburban, and they're about 4" wider than the Rivians. Nein danke.

 

[gasman4u]

I’m a big skeptic of electric car concepts being executed as billed. But as looks are concerned, these things have me doing a double take!

 

[clrussell]

If this has third row seating (I can’t find any info on it)

I would highly consider one.

 

[thecapedcapper]

Love the range extender (gas engine to solely charge batteries). But you gotta look up the dimensions, as configured they are huge. The SUV with the rear-mounted spare is as long as a Suburban, and they're about 4" wider than the Rivians. Nein danke.

Wow holy crap no kidding these are huge, did not look it to me in the pictures.

from here

For reference a 2015 LX570 is 197″ L x 78″ W x 73″ H. , 91.6 inches wide is super wide.

Still, cool to see more interesting EV off roads enter the picture.

 

[rugbypike11]

It's a really cool looking truck. My biggest concern is reliability. Both VW and Rivian rank towards the bottom in manufacturer reliability, though I'm guessing that the tech being borrowed from Rivian is more focused on software and battery tech. Scout is being sold as its own manufacturer under the VW Group, and I think Scout has hired engineers from a bunch of different companies. There's just no reliability track record like what we have for Toyota. All that being said, I spent the $100 to get a reservation. Based on noted reliability concerns and uncertainty if I can get the thing in my garage, I probably won't actually get one.

 

[gasman4u]

Fully refundable $100 deposit though.

 

[JohnVee]

Fully refundable $100 deposit though.

I’d love to get 10,000 or more people to let me hold $100 for a while and watch the interest accumulate!

 

[gasman4u]

I’d love to get 10,000 or more people to let me hold $100 for a while and watch the interest accumulate!

especially if you were on supposedly shaky financials like Rivian over the past few years.

 

[roadstr6]

I'd love to have a Scout 800. I'd settle for a Scout II. This EV thing is an abomination. Hard pass.

 

[rugbypike11]

I’d love to get 10,000 or more people to let me hold $100 for a while and watch the interest accumulate!

That would be meaningful money to us normal folk, as every 10,000 people making the $100 deposit would equal…

For context, Rivian lost $1.46 billion last year, which means that million dollars in cash flow might last until a mid morning coffee break.

 

[open country]

I'm on the reservation list for the Traveler as well as a Rivian R2 as potential dailies. From people I know with Rivians, they're great solutions for daily driving and short-ish road trips, and have been exceedingly reliable. Rivian and Scout now under common ownership. Charging not a headache unless you're relying heavily on public infrastructure. I do about 7k miles a year and rarely over 100 miles a week or outside the Charlotte metro, so the range is not a concern. Plus we have an LC200 in the fleet for long road trips.

My only hesitation is the Scout sizing - the Traveler is wider than the new EV Hummer which is a monstrosity on the road. That and seeing if they make it to 2027, haha. Thankfully reservation slot was cheap and refundable.

 

[rugbypike11]

My only hesitation is the Scout sizing - the Traveler is wider than the new EV Hummer which is a monstrosity on the road. That and seeing if they make it to 2027, haha. Thankfully reservation slot was cheap and refundable.

I think there is some uncertainty about the actual released dimensions. I saw somewhere that without mirrors, the actual width is more like 80 inches. And the length included the optional spare tire carrier, so without, you're looking at more like 190 inches. Still bigger than what I was expecting before the announcement, but maybe not quite the Hummer monstrosity. I assumed the Traveler was going to be 250 sized, but it's basically Sequoia sized if you count the "length" of the spare tire carrier.

Edit: updated dimensions are here: SCOUT TRAVELER FAQ - https://scoutmotors.community.forum/threads/scout-traveler-faq.1080/#:~:text=Traveler%20SUV%20Dimensions*%0ALength%20With%20Spare%20Wheel%20Carrier%3A%20207.9%20in%0ALength%20Without%20Spare%20Wheel%20Carrier%3A%20190.9%20in%0AWidth%20Without%20Mirrors%3A%2079.9%20in%0AWidth%20With%20Mirrors%3A%2091.6%20in%0AMax%20Height%3A%2076.3%20in%0AWheelbase%3A%20120.4%20in%0AMax%20Ground%20Clearance%3A%2012%2B%20in%0AOffered%20Tire%20Size%3A%2035%20in

Traveler SUV Dimensions*
Length With Spare Wheel Carrier: 207.9 in
Length Without Spare Wheel Carrier: 190.9 in
Width Without Mirrors: 79.9 in
Width With Mirrors: 91.6 in
Max Height: 76.3 in
Wheelbase: 120.4 in
Max Ground Clearance: 12+ in
Offered Tire Size: 35 in

*Dimensions are approximate and subject to change. They may not accurately represent production vehicle sizes or all available trims and offerings.

 

[open country]

Width Without Mirrors: 79.9 in
Width With Mirrors: 91.6 in

*Dimensions are approximate and subject to change. They may not accurately represent production vehicle sizes or all available trims and offerings.

Thanks for that! The internet was freaking out so glad they corrected it.

 

[uzj100]

The gas extender is crazy funny. They look good. I am not a new car buyer but I am sure they will sell well. Now that we can import model year 2000 Toyota 4x4s, this is where I am looking. So many great imports coming in.

 

[TLar25]

I think they knocked it out of the park as far as the design goes, but I'm also not a new car buyer (new car afforder really) and would be hesitant about reliability and longevity.

 

[FJinTegaCay]

Here’s a link to a video they sent to people with reservations.

 

[gasman4u]

Here’s a link to a video they sent to people with reservations.

Chris cooper looks terrible.

 

[lt1fire]

Here’s a link to a video they sent to people with reservations.

Does this mean you're getting one David?