VW To Decide On Resurrecting Iconic Scout Brand Today

May. 11, 2022 11:44 AM ET byGerhard Horn Rumor /4 Comments

An electric off-roader could be on the way from Volkswagen sooner than we thought.

Volkswagen's first product was the Beetle, followed shortly after by the microbus. Since it was first established in 1937, it has produced a car to compete in just about every segment in existence, apart from the supercar club. That project never made itpast the concept phase.

All of the above means that VW has an extensive collection of vehicle names it can dig up and reintroduce as EVs. Instead, it's borrowing someone else's name.

We recently reported thatVolkswagen could revive the Scout name, even though International Harvester made the name famous. VW owns International Harvester via a series of complex deals we explained in the initial report.

According to theWall Street Journal, the plan to bring the Scout back as an EV could be one step closer to reality. VW's supervisory board is meeting today to vote on proposals, and the Scout EV will likely be one of the hottest topics on the table.

According toReuters, VW would invest $105 million to bring Scout back as a standalone brand, though it would still need external investors or an IPO for Scout to reach showroom floors.

The rumor mill also suggests that production is set to start in 2026, which is a short lead time for an all-new vehicle. This indicates that Scout cars could be built on existing platforms, like VW's scalable MEB electric platform, which underpins the ID.4 and upcoming ID.6 andID. Buzz.

The rumors also suggest that it will be available as both an SUV and a pickup truck. It has been a while since we've seen a small pickup truck from VW, and this could fill that gap nicely.

As for a hardcore off-roader, there's no recent model that jumps to mind apart from the Amarok midsize pickup. There is a historical model, however. TheType 82 Kubelwagen, known as the Thing, was built from 1940 to 1945. Unfortunately, the Kubelwagen was famously used by Nazi Germany as a military vehicle, so the supervisory board will give that name a hard pass.

We'll likely know more once the board has voted, but there's a good chance this might happen. There is a gap in the market for a proper EV off-roader to go up against the吉普车磁and the inevitable Bronco EV.