Scout Motors is a nostalgic name in the car world that’s making a comeback, reimagined as a buzzy electric car brand. In late October, Scout showed off its first two products in Franklin, Tennessee, against a golden sunset backdrop. The Traveler, an SUV, and the Terra, a pickup truck, preserve its decades-old heritage and captures the mood of the current moment. That mood veers toward boxy, upright shapes, and wanderlust vibes, framed by a cursive logo. “A Scout always comes back” is one of tagline used in a splashy celebratory reveal video. Scout first announced its relaunch in 2022, after the Volkswagen Group acquired its parent company Navistar, and has been scaling up its workforce and plans to begin selling vehicles first introduced by International Harvester in 1960 out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Backed by the muscle of VW, the new Scout is still based in the US, led by Scott Keough the former head of the US Volkswagen and Audi brands.
Scout’s body-on-frame architecture is original to the company, which will build its products in Blythewood, South Carolina. In addition to an all-electric model that produces 350 miles, a version that includes a gasoline range extender is in the works. That battery and gas configuration means a proposed 500-mile range that sets it apart from other EV makers and appeals to the off-roading crowd. The Scout Traveler and the Scout Terra are available for pre-order, projected to be built in 2027. Scout intends to forgo traditional car dealers and is building out a sales platform and hubs where consumers can test drive and scope out vehicles.
The Electric Vehicle Market Grows with new SUV’s from BMW, Genesis, Volvo, and More
Courtesy of Genesis.
Scout joins a growing number of high-end automakers making large EVs. Scout follows Rivian, an electric startup known for its all-electric SUVs and pickup trucks, which also has forged a partnership with the VW group. Legacy carmakers have also begun to pump out electrified SUVs including the BMW IX, the Cadillac LYRIQ, the Genesis GV70, Mercedes EQS SUV, and the Volvo EX90. While the pace of EV adoption has slowed in the US, and with the incoming administration, the EV tax credit is in flux, a staggering $300 billion has already been invested into EV manufacturing.
Courtesy of Mercedes.
In response to the waning momentum, some automakers are pushing out plug-in hybrids, which are partially gasoline-powered, while still using a smaller battery for all-electric miles. Europe is facing some of the same adoption issues as the US, but some countries are standouts. In Norway, EVs make up over 80 percent of car sales. Meanwhile, EV adoption in China is above 50 percent, as the country stays on track to switch its fleet over to battery power. While the switch to EVs may take some time as the charging infrastructure catches up, there are still plenty of products in the pipeline. EVs present car designers with a clean sheet of paper that opens up new possibilities for imagining what the in-car experience feels like for passengers. Scout has taken advantage of that space, from the inside out.
Photo by Tamara Warren, Courtesy of Scout Motors.
Designing The New Scout in Michigan
As Scout starts to roll out its products, design is at the center of the narrative, based out of Novi, Michigan studios. Chris Benjamin is the head of design for the revamped brand. Born in Queens, New York, Benjamin developed a love for drawing as kid and sketched comic book characters with his brother. When the family moved from New York City to Miami, architecture and splashy Miami car culture grabbed his interest. Benjamin graduated from Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami, a school that counts artist Daniel Arsham and fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro as alumni. He attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and entered its prestigious transportation program in his second year. He went on to work for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, and most recently led interior design for Stellantis. “I’m mostly inspired by places and architecture,” Benjamin said. “When I walk into a room, I always notice the lighting fixtures, the indirect lighting. It’s the vibe that you get in different spaces and around different people.”
Photo by Tamara Warren, Courtesy of Scout Motors.
“I’m mostly inspired by places and architecture,”
Chris Benjamin
He’s hired a 45-person team to realize Scout’s vision and prioritizes versatility in the studio. Many of the designers on his team are former colleagues that come from Rivian, Ford, and Stellantis. “I personally still draw and use Photoshop,” he said. “I can still build the exterior of a car in 3D.” He looks for designers who have the skill to work in interdisciplinary manner. Doubling down on details are high on Benjamin’s list, like perfecting the feel of the door handle and the mobile app’s aesthetic. “A lot of people think of user experience as cool graphics on your screen. That’s not what it is. For me, user experience is everything in every aspect of how you interact with the vehicle.” A feature that he is proud of is the trademarked Community UX interface, which makes the center screen a hub for the passenger and driver to access easily from their seats. “We’ve designed it so that can always your map as a background, which is cool because you always know where you are as a Scout.”
Traveler Interior, Courtesy of Scout Motors.
“For me, user experience is everything in every aspect of how you interact with the vehicle,”
Chris Benjamin
Blending Technology and Heritage for Elegant Results
To blend technology and references to its heritage, Scout’s interiors are simple and elegant, and draw from the Scout collector community’s insights, which the company has tapped for feedback in the design process. “I love the idea of the feeling to be able to create something from scratch,” Benjamin said. “I say from scratch, but that’s the other cool thing about Scout is that even though we’re a startup, we have such a rich and cool heritage and history, and that leaves the door open for so many different vehicles to be inspired by.” Scout enthusiasts and their fresh, funky vintage vehicles were everywhere at the Tennessee launch. They offered rides to journalists, and cheered when the new models took the stage. Keough and Benjamin both gave remarks about Scout’s path forward.
“Being able to touch people and society through things you’ve created is very fun and satisfying,” Benjamin said to me a few hours before the reveal. “It keeps me in a young mindset, thinking about how things shift and change in the world and how technology changes what we do, what we think and how we approach problems, because that’s what design is.”
Terra Exterior, Courtesy of Scout Motors.
