UPDATE: February 18, 2026
In a statement to CarBuzz, Scout Motors reaffirmed its plan to launch production in 2027, contradicting a report claiming production was delayed by one year. The new statement, and additional statements, are included later in this post.
The Volkswagen Group is spending billions to establish Scout as an electrified pickup and SUV brand aimed squarely at the American market. Designs for the first models, the Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV, were first shown in late 2024 and have been generally well received. According to the company, it has already racked up tens of thousands of reservations.
However, Scout may have hit a major hiccup, if a recent report from Der Spiegel proves accurate. Citing anonymous sources, the German publication reported this week that the launch of the new Scouts has been delayed by one year due to technical issues. That moves the timeline up to mid-2028 for new vehicles to finally reach customers. The nature of the alleged technical issues was not mentioned by these sources.
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Scout’s Official Response
CarBuzz reached out to Scout Motors in the US for more clarification. Initially, the company didn’t confirm or deny any delays, but a subsequent statement confirmed plans are still go for initial production in 2027, contradicting the report. launch, but did offer quite a bit of additional insight into the current state of things.
“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. 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 Motors official statement
An additional statement to CarBuzz confirmed that construction of its production center was on schedule as well, and provided extra insight into the company’s progress so far.
“As you know, Scout Motors is building on multiple fronts – we’re building a factory, we’re developing vehicles, and we’re building a company. We’re making great progress on all of those fronts.
“As a company, we’ve hired more than 1,300 employees to date. Consumer and market reaction to our Scout brand and concept vehicles has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re now fully into the heart of the construction process for our Scout Motors Production Center in Blythewood, South Carolina, which remains on track. Our buildings are weathertight, and we’ve begun installing process equipment, including the first robot which arrived in mid-January in the Body Shop, marking another major milestone. Additionally, we’ve begun hiring and training our first Maintenance Technicians who will work in the factory. We’re proud of the progress happening on the ground in South Carolina and across our company as we work to bring our factory and vehicles to life.”
In addition to this statement, a Scout Motors representative shared more insight on the company’s official online forum.
“The German publications love their headlines and “sources say” articles – it all makes for good headlines people click on.
“We are still moving full steam ahead, bringing Scout back to market. Everything is moving forward and making good progress. Much like the guy who is balancing spinning plates on sticks and running back and forth to keep them spinning to prevent them from falling, we are juggling a lot at once. New factory. New suppliers. Two completely new vehicles. Could there be potential delays? Of course. But I will let you all know as quickly as I can if there are any official changes or major announcements.”
Potential Issues That Could Delay Production Launch
The Scout lineup takes its cues from the original International Harvester Scout, built from 1961 to 1980. VW Group acquired the Scout nameplate in 2020 through its purchase of commercial truck brand Navistar, International Harvester’s successor. The new Scout Terra pickup and Traveler SUV are officially slated to launch in 2027, with production planned at a factory now under construction in South Carolina.
Der Spiegel mentioned two potential reasons for possible delays. One is development of the planned range-extender option, dubbed Harvester, which will enable the full-size duo to travel a promised 500 miles (instead of just 350 miles on battery power alone). During CES 2025, Scout CEO Scott Keogh said that more than half of reservations have requested the Harvester.
The other potential reason for the delay is the integration of the zonal software and electrical architecture VW Group is developing with Rivian in a deal announced only months before the reveal of the Terra and Traveler. This architecture reduces the number of required control modules and associated wiring, while enabling over-the-air updates, remote diagnostics, and a wider range of connected services and personalization features than typically found in today’s vehicles. According to Der Spiegel, VW Group is leaning on its own software division, Cariad, to make up for Rivian not yet delivering what Scout needs.
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A Turbulent Market
Potential delays with electric and range-extended EVs aren’t surprising given the massive shakeup currently rippling through the auto industry. Many major automakers, including Scout’s VW Group parent, are now scrambling to develop new internal-combustion and hybrid models after previously committing to mostly EV-focused lineups. The Trump administration’s tariffs have only added more uncertainty, disrupting supply chains and forcing companies to rethink where vehicles and key components are sourced, decisions that typically take years to lock in, not months.
Sources: Scout Motors, Der Spiegel
