Scout Motors Reports 212,000 Reservations as South Carolina Plant Nears Completion
The Volkswagen-backed automaker says most reservations are for extended-range vehicles, with customer deliveries expected in 2028.
Scout Motors has received about 212,000 reservations for its upcoming Terra pickup and Traveler SUV as construction of its more than $2 billion production center in Blythewood, South Carolina, enters its final phase, CEO Scott Keogh told CNBC.
The Volkswagen-backed automaker is building early validation vehicles at the site, a step used to check the vehicles and manufacturing process before customer production. Full production is expected to begin in 2027, with deliveries to customers expected in 2028.
About 87% of reservations are for extended-range models, Keogh said. Those vehicles combine electric motors and batteries with a gasoline-powered backup generator. Roughly 75% of reservations are for the Traveler SUV rather than the Terra pickup.
Scout plans to launch the extended-range vehicles before the fully electric versions. Keogh also said the company intends to start with mid-level models rather than its most expensive versions, aiming to build sales volume early.
Reservations are not completed vehicle sales. Keogh said converting interest into purchases is more important than the reservation count alone, and he wants an order book covering 12 to 18 months of production before customer manufacturing begins.
The plant is about 85% complete, according to Keogh, while supporting infrastructure and a $300 million supplier park remain under construction. Scout's official project information says the production center is expected to create more than 4,000 permanent jobs and eventually have capacity for up to 200,000 vehicles a year.