Report: Scout's Range Extending Gas Engines Will Be Built In Mexico

Volkswagen’s Scout brand is gearing up to start production of its new truck and SUV models by 2027, and the automaker’s supply chain will at least partially run through Mexico. Automotive News reported that the internal combustion engine in Scout’s range-extended variants will be made in Mexico, with VW Group’s CFO, Arno Antlitz, saying that it would be a naturally-aspirated mill.

The Scout range extender engine will be built at the VW facility in Silao, where the automaker has built vehicles and components for more than a decade. Instead of powering the wheels like traditional gas engines, range extenders act like generators, providing juice for the electric motors and helping recharge the battery.

While the EV-only Scout Traveler SUV and Terra pickup will offer an initial range estimate in the mid-300-mile area, the range-extended Harvester configurations should achieve more than 500 miles on a charge, though the battery itself only delivers around 150 miles before the gas engine kicks in for backup.

VW’s decision to revive the Scout brand was surprising at first, but the move gives the automaker an entry point to the more adventurous side of the EV market without cannibalizing any of its existing products. The two Scouts will land directly in Rivian’s backyard, and while the German automaker holds a significant financial stake in the American EV company, the vehicles target the same buyers.

[Images: Scout Motors]

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