Scout Motors mounts an electric comeback with new SUV and truck concepts

By Andrew J. Hawkins , transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.

Decades ago, Scout Motors helped introduce America to the “sport utility vehicle,” a quirky new automobile that would eventually come to dominate our roads. The brand went bust in 1980 — but now, it’s back, and it’s all-electric.

Scout, which is now an independent company under the Volkswagen Group, introduced its first new-concept vehicles today: the Terra truck and the Traveler SUV. Both vehicles are body-on-frame, sitting on top a brand-new EV platform unique to Scout. And both could start at under $60,000 (without incentives) when production begins in 2027.

But beyond the novelty of launching a new EV brand when sales are still struggling, and on the eve of a major election that could determine the future of the auto industry, Scout is trying to sell something that no one has really tried before: a genuine throwback that also feels modern and fresh.

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