Who doesn’t love an International Scout?
We’re talking about the simple, utilitarian 4×4 from International Harvester that originally debuted as the compact Scout 80 before gradually evolving into the larger Scout II during the 1970s.
In whatever flavor you choose, the International Scout is a perpetual favorite at car shows across the country.
If you’re a Scout fan, you may enjoy these articles:
* Lot Shots: International Scout II Camper
* Lot Shots: International Harvester Scout 800
So you can imagine our collective surprise when we heard the Scout was coming back!
And the news gets even more interesting when you hear that it’s coming from Volkswagen.
That’s because VW actually owns the Scout name, thanks to its earlier acquisition of Navistar International, the company that evolved out of the old International Harvester corporation. (Though if we’re being pedantic, Navistar is actually owned Traton, a subsidiary of Volkswagen—same end result though.)
If that wasn’t enough, VW says that the Scout is coming back as…wait for it…an electric vehicle.
Yup. The new Scout will return as an electric SUV. And it’ll have a pickup truck variant as well. In fact, according to the press release, Volkswagen says the Scout will be its own brand of EVs, separate from VW and the other branches on the Volkswagen family tree.
If you didn’t already know, the Volkswagen Auto Group encompasses a lot of other car marques, including Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini.
These new Scouts will reportedly be designed and built in the United States, specifically for the American market. And VW tells us that we’ll see prototypes in 2023, with production set to begin in 2026. It also appears that, since Scout is intended to be a standalone brand, these new EVs may be sold through a separate dealer network.
Releasing a new, electric Scout is a fascinating move, to say the least, and we’re excited to see what it does to the electric truck market, which is starting to heat up with models like the electric Ford F-150 Lightning already in production.
Will one be able to drive the new Scout like the old Scout? Thru rivers, over jumps? Electric? I’ll pass.
What we need (my opinion) is a 4×4 without all the crap.
Funny thing … I’ve yet to see a power station to plug into in the middle of the desert. This is just another SUV for the city! I can do without it!
No! Just…NO!!!
They should do it like the Insight first gen so its an assist not an only electric.
Very interesting concept with a EV addition !
Look forward in watching it’s development
and introduction to this newly created market place !
As a boy we had a neighbor with a 1962 Scout pickup. It was a workhorse in the Vermont of my youth from plowing snow to supporting a small fleet of International trucks. It was still functioning when it was so rusted out that a child could stick a pencil through it almost anywhere. So much for my admiration of the Scout.
Battery technology is fine for small European countries. Where I live now almost every chore requires over thirty miles of driving. Today’s electric vehicles are not up country living. Maybe someday but not yet.
Think about a farmer using his pickup to pull hay wagons back and forth on long summer days. They won’t get much done having to stop to recharge a couple times a day.