So, like, Scout Motors just dropped a bombshell by announcing that they’re gonna get a gasoline engine from Volkswagen Group Mexico to use as an optional range-extender for their “Harvester” vehicles. Apparently, VW Group CFO Arno Antlitz spilled the beans during the company’s earnings call, revealing that the engine will be a four-cylinder beast made in Silao.
The decision to go with VW for the engine is kinda surprising, considering all the talk about international trade and stuff. But hey, it looks like VW is sticking to its guns and keeping things as they are, even with all the pressure to move operations to the U.S. Plus, with the administration flip-flopping on tariffs, who really knows what’s gonna happen next, right?
We’ve been speculating about which engine Scout would choose ever since CEO Scott Keogh hinted that it would be from the VW Group. Our bet was on a small engine for some international VW car, but this announcement doesn’t really give us much to work with. The Silao plant already makes some four-cylinder engines for VW in North America, but that’s not super helpful since all the engines here are turbocharged.
Scout decided to call their range-extender “Harvester” as a nod to the OG Scout maker, International Harvester. Cool, right? We reached out to Scout for more deets, so we’ll keep you posted if we hear anything juicy.
Even though people are pumped about the Harvester range extender (like, 80% of reservations want it), it’s a total 180 from Scout’s initial plan to only go electric. The vehicles with the Harvester will have a smaller battery but can charge up quicker, sacrificing electric range for speed. Keogh mentioned at CES that the engine would be far from the driver, so it shouldn’t mess with the quiet vibes EVs are known for.
Scout is doing things a bit differently with their Terra and Traveler trucks. These bad boys are all about off-roading, with solid-axle suspensions and locking differentials. But don’t be fooled, they’re still gonna be lightning-fast, hitting 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Whoa, right?
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