The Volkswagen Group, a German automobile brand, is known for making great and innovative cars every time they launch a new vehicle.
With a new model from a brand called Scout due for release several years from now, Volkswagen will be attempting to jump into the burgeoning market for electric pickup trucks in the near future.
Importance of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
Trends like off-roading, overlanding, and reviving retro nameplates show no sign of slowing down right now. Electric vehicles are also becoming increasingly popular. Volkswagen could really score a big coup if it were to combine all of these elements into a dedicated brand that would give it an authentic entry into the market that it is interested in.
Despite the soaring popularity of classic off-roaders in recent years, the original Scout SUV by International Harvester has largely been forgotten since it was discontinued in 1980, but interest has recently resumed somewhat, due in part to the resurgence of interest in the original Scout.
It is likely to have a competitive advantage over the established Jeep brand and the nascent Ford Bronco lineup, the latter of which also plans to have stand-alone dealerships and will adopt minimal Ford badges, as both brands are developing separate lineups.
About the Scout Brand
The Scout Brand With the acquisition of Navistar by Volkswagen Group in 2021, it became the sole owner of the iconic Scout brand (International Harvester Scout) and the rights to the iconic Scout logo.
Scout is an off-road EV brand that will be exclusive to the U.S. market, and it will be a completely new addition to the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio. Volkswagen also says that these Scout vehicles will use their own platforms.
In the past five years, the company has been showcasing two concept vehicles in order to try and enter in the truck segment in the American market.
Seeing in 2021 a great opportunity with the badge that makes people think of the country’s first off-road SUV, it sensed that there was a great opportunity there
This will be the first time Scout will have its own company established solely for the purpose of running the Scout brand in the United States. . Despite having its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, it will be a Volkswagen Group subsidiary.
2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck Development
There is a growing desire within Volkswagen Group to make as many of its electric Scout trucks and SUVs curated for use in America. It will be the company’s responsibility to design and engineer these models in the United States.
According to reports, the Volkswagen Group just announced that Scout models will be built on “a new technical platform concept” that provides “credibility beyond the existing Volkswagen Group portfolio.” Possibly, the platform is based on SSP and MEB architecture, or perhaps it uses SSP Mechatronics as its basis.
Design of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
There will be no resemblance between the Scout electric truck and any other existing Volkswagen Group model. It will be designed from the ground up by the company so that it will appear like one of the most rugged and toughest models it has ever produced.
The official sketch of the upcoming electric truck shows that it will be fitted with a flat hood, which may disguise a large trunk, an upright face, tight front overhangs, vertical taillights, a sleek greenhouse, straight lines, and smooth surfaces, among other features.
Due to the bespoke electric platform that is used for the Scout pickup, its overall height might be somewhat low, which may result in it not compromising on ground clearance and space.
The Volkswagen Group may not compromise on the capability of its trucks even though Scout is likely to be a lifestyle brand rather than a utility brand. Initially, it seemed as though it was designed to handle whatever comes it’s way on a construction site, based on how the initial sketches looked.
Battery, Charging and Range of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
When the Scout pickup arrives in 2026, we anticipate that the vehicle should have a driving range of at least 300 miles on a single charge in order to remain competitive in the market. Volkswagen has yet to tell us how big the battery pack will be that can enable this, but VW has said that it plans to show prototypes of the Scout models next year, so we may find out more information then.
Dedicated Platform of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
The company said in a release that even though its two-motor all-wheel-drive EV platform in production already has two motors, it plans to develop a new “technical platform concept” for its new “rugged” offerings in the future.
It did not provide any further information, but we expect that there will be a minimum of two motors, one at the front and one at the rear. Volkswagen group executives have expressed a desire to keep the cost of the vehicle reasonable, so they have expressed a desire to have three or four motors.
In order to be a credible competitor to the Bronco and Wrangler, it is almost mandatory for it to have a locking rear differential and a long-travel suspension as well as underbody protection. For serious backcountry exploration, as well as the ability to haul and tow equipment, a vehicle with as much range as possible is also essential.
Features of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
Volkswagen Group will introduce the Scout electric truck, which will be their most technologically advanced pickup truck ever. Aside from a solar roof and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, the CEO hinted at the possibility of rear-wheel steering for models of the Scout sedan.
The addition of the solar truck bed cover would provide a tangible benefit in terms of range improvements. In contrast, GM has already implemented features such as the rear-wheel steering system and Multi-Flex Midgate for its Ultium-based electric trucks.
Release date and production of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
It has been confirmed by the Volkswagen Group that it will manufacture the Scout electric vehicle in the U.S. as well as the Scout electric SUV. As far as we know, neither the company nor the government has revealed whether or not manufacturing will be done at its existing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or at a new facility.
Prior to making a decision in this aspect, the CEO told that the company should determine whether it is necessary to construct a Greenfield factory to meet the company’s growth potential, estimate its sales potential, and complete its market study.
The Volkswagen Group is looking at building a second factory next to its existing U.S. factory, as reported in a report from Manager Magazine. Upon completing the new production facility in the United States, a total of 600,000 units will be able to be produced annually by the company, which is an increase from the existing 500,000.
The CEO of the company said in a recent interview with that the new brand will be the focus of a plant that will produce products from the new brand in the near future.
Pricing of 2026 Scout Electric SUV / Truck
In the meantime, we do not know a lot about the 2026 Scout SUV / Truck or its actual pricing. However, from the rumours and speculations that have been going around, we can conclude that Volkswagen will offer at least two trim levels for the Scout SUV.
It is estimated that the starting price of a base-level Scout SUV will be around $45,000, and more feature-rich trims will likely cost more than $50,000.
Rival cars of the 2026 Scout Electric SUV/ Truck
Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado Electric Vehicle, Jeep Wrangler Electric Vehicle and the Ford F-150 Lightning are potential rivals in the market which have as these cars have some of the similar features and might fall somewhere in the same price bracket .
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