I feel like we’ve been talking about Slate a lot. It’s coming out in December 2026, so everyone’s been publishing their first drive impressions and thoughts on the pickup’s unique customization model.
Not to mention it’s under $30,000 (in theory).
But I hope you didn’t forget about Scout. Rumors circulated for a while that the Terra pickup and Traveler SUV were delayed until mid-2028 due to technical issues with the hybrids. But Scout has continued to deny those rumors.
And it looks like we’re getting concrete proof. Finally.
The $2 billion factory
Scout Motors’ $2 billion factory in South Carolina is actually almost complete. Most of the manufacturing equipment is up and running. The body, paint, and assembly shops are ready for their first vehicles.
But this factory is actually pretty high-tech. Scout is currently testing more than 750 robots in the body shop. These robots will use AI to monitor about 5,000 weld points on each vehicle, ensuring they meet standards.
Right now, Scout Motors welds together the Traveler and Terra bodies, then runs them through the paint shop. When everything comes together, the body shop will process 40 vehicles every hour.
“The entirety of America is building things again. You’re going to have training; I hope you stay at Scout, but if you don’t, you have something that can translate across America,” CEO Scott Keogh said during a tour of the facility.
Scout vehicles have come a long way
The new Scout vehicles aim to start under $60,000. They aren’t as cheap as the paintless, infotainment-system-less Slate truck. But I’d probably argue these are better vehicles.
International Harvester originally produced the Scout vehicles, and continued to do so until 1980. Volkswagen now owns the Scout name and trademark and revived the brand as Scout Motors in 2022.
Scout originally planned to start with EVs, but 85% of the pre-orders were for its extended-range hybrid option, so they will start with those. Gas engines will serve solely as generators for the motors.
There is definite interest in the Terra and Traveler. Right now, there are 210,000 pre-orders. This is expected to reach 400,000. Many of the reservation holders currently own vehicles from Ford, Jeep, Rivian, and Tesla.
About 75% of those pre-orders are for the SUV, so the Traveler hybrid will enter production first, which goes by the Traveler Harvester. Next will be the Terra Harvester hybrid. Scout has yet to figure out the plan and cadence from there. Scout has continued fighting to sell these vehicles directly to customers rather than through Volkswagen dealerships.
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