- The Volkswagen Group’s electrical revival of an iconic American truck model, Scout Motors, has drawn many comparisons to an identical EV truck firm: Rivian.
- The VW Group and Rivian have a three way partnership to develop software program and electrical architectures collectively.
- Regardless of this, and regardless of what you may even see on-line, a Scout is just not a Rivian.
What an age of miracles we discover ourselves in. The web is the best software for disseminating info that humanity has ever created, but it surely additionally permits anyone to simply immediately broadcast no matter is on their thoughts at any given second, no matter how true it’s or not. That does result in the occasional little bit of misinformation that information shops like InsideEVs should right.
For the reason that latest debut of two new electrical ideas from Scout Motors, the American truck and SUV model revived by the Volkswagen Group, we now have observed various comparisons drawn to a different EV truck firm: Rivian.
The comparisons are truthful; Scout’s two idea autos bear a powerful resemblance to Rivian’s first two autos, the R1T truck and R1S SUV. And the traces between the 2 manufacturers are additional blurred by the truth that the Volkswagen Group and Rivian have not too long ago began working collectively.
Picture illustration from InsideEVs.
However the latter scenario, specifically, appears to be drawing a number of confusion. Listed here are some emails, feedback and social media posts we have seen recently:
“I can not shake the thought that the Scout is not similar to a Rivian, however it’s a Rivian.”
“Nicely, now we all know why Volkswagen is teaming up with Rivian.”
“Is not the Scout a rebadged Rivian?”
“The Scout Motors EV is admittedly only a Rivian with a fuel generator, is not it?”
“Reskinned Rivian? VW owns Scout, VW and Rivian introduced a three way partnership…”
“So how a lot is Rivian making per every Scout EV offered? It’s clear they’ll be utilizing Rivian’s zonal structure.”
And so forth. However I am right here to hopefully clear this one up as soon as and for all: Whereas Scout and Rivian have comparable designs and can most likely compete for a similar buyer, and Scout will use the brand new electrical structure that VW is co-developing with Rivian, the 2 autos and types are usually not the identical. They don’t use the identical platform, are constructed (or moderately, shall be constructed) in other places and may have significantly totally different worth tags.
Does it really feel like a form of McDonald’s-McDowell’s scenario for the electrical car world? Sure, which might be unlucky for each manufacturers. However there is definitely room within the area for each, and no matter technological intersection exists between the 2 will most likely profit them each. Let’s dig in.
Let’s Begin With Rivian
We’ll start with a particularly transient historical past of one of many extra promising EV startups on the market, California-based Rivian.
Folks overlook this immediately, however Rivian really launched approach again in 2009 (and underneath a special identify) with the objective of making a hybrid, mid-engine sports activities automobile. That concept was shelved, however by 2022, Rivian was making the R1S and R1T electrical journey vans at a former Mitsubishi manufacturing unit in Regular, Unwell. Each autos boast wonderful electrical vary, charming designs and legit off-road skills. The corporate additionally makes electrical vans for fleet use, initially for Amazon alone however now out there to any fleet buyer.
Second Gen Rivian R1T and R1S
Rivian’s EVs have garnered appreciable acclaim since then. Whereas the corporate immediately has a large money pile, it’s nonetheless coping with the instability and tough path to long-term profitability that makes being a newcomer within the auto business such a gargantuan activity. Ought to it efficiently struggle by way of the “valley of loss of life” that it is at the moment in, Rivian is because of launch a collection of extra inexpensive, mainstream EVs by the top of this decade: the smaller R2 crossover and extra compact R3 and R3X.
However Rivian has the benefit of with the ability to do issues with a clear sheet, vertically built-in method, one thing that conventional automakers who rely upon huge networks of outdoor elements suppliers wrestle with. This in-house method, as soon as pioneered by Tesla, has made Rivian right into a burgeoning software program energy participant too. The world took discover of that when Rivian and the Volkswagen Group (which has struggled mightily on the know-how entrance because it seeks a largely electrical future) inked a $5 billion deal to co-develop software program and electrical architectures collectively. That deal is giving Rivian the money it must proceed R&D and scale up operations, whereas VW is getting the form of software program and tech experience it must be aggressive sooner or later.
What About Scout Motors?
Scout’s historical past really goes again many a long time. The SUVs and vans had been made by the Worldwide Harvester Firm, which was largely identified for agricultural and business autos, between 1960 and 1980. They had been easy, succesful machines that provided loads of functionality. The unique Scouts are extremely coveted by off-roading fans even immediately, as the corporate helped to pioneer that complete discipline of autos.
Picture by: Scout Motors
Scout Traveler and Terra Ideas
After a sophisticated collection of gross sales and acquisitions, the VW Group ended up in possession of the Scout branding and emblems (through the acquisition of Worldwide Harvester’s successor firm, Navistar, to complement VW’s different business truck manufacturers) in 2020. As Scout Motors’ CEO Scott Keogh informed InsideEVs earlier this 12 months, that led to some discussions inside VW, which has lengthy struggled to garner the form of mainstream, quantity success in America that it enjoys in the remainder of the world. Furthermore, as of late, the VW Group is dropping floor shortly in China, so it must win huge within the U.S.
That yielded a daring plan to relaunch the Scout Motors model, and never as some re-badged ID.4 or Audi Q8 E-Tron however with a wholly new platform and a brand new manufacturing unit in South Carolina to make the most of tax incentives from the Inflation Discount Act.
Scout Motors Manufacturing unit Groundbreaking 2024 Official Pictures
However They’re Each Boxy, Electrical Vans And SUVs Aimed At Off-Roaders. How Are They Totally different?
That is actually an comprehensible query, and I feel the Scout Terra truck specifically bears an uncanny and maybe uncomfortable resemblance to the R1T. We all the time knew the Scout was going to be boxy and utilitarian trying, as that is how Scouts have all the time been. For those who’re going for a boxy look whereas sustaining the aerodynamic design it’s essential construct a aggressive EV, it is not stunning that the top consequence appears like an present utilitarian, environment friendly electrical truck. However the two autos from Scout and Rivian are totally different.
The R1T vs. the Scout Terra.
In addition to predating the Scout autos by years (they will not even go on sale till 2027 on the earliest) the Rivian R1S and R1T use a platform, motors and software program all made in-house. The upcoming Rivian R3, R3X and R2 will use a brand new Rivian “midsize” platform as effectively that comes with the teachings and cost-savings from the R1 autos. A Rivian spokesperson confirmed to InsideEVs that the R2 and R3 platform is “unrelated” to the upcoming Scout undertaking.
As I discussed earlier, Scout’s platform is a special animal. The automaker wished a really off-road succesful EV, so it is crafting a body-on-frame platform from the bottom up with a stable rear axle and entrance and rear mechanical lockers—similar to an old-school rock-crawling truck would have. Rivian’s autos don’t use locking differentials. Additionally they do not provide stable axles.
The variations go even deeper. Maybe most notably, the Scout fashions will provide a spread extender possibility referred to as the “Harvester,” which is solely a gasoline engine designed to solely recharge the electrical battery. Whereas it doesn’t energy the wheels in any respect, the engine is anticipated to spice up the Scout EV’s vary from 350 miles to 500 miles. Rivian has not introduced any plans for a fuel vary extender, and on condition that it is all the time been an all-electric automaker, that appears moderately unlikely. Scout, nonetheless, has the benefit of probably pulling a fuel engine from the VW Group’s expansive household.
On the battery entrance, Rivian’s autos use cells from Samsung SDI in South Korea. CNBC studies that Scout’s batteries are anticipated to return from VW’s three way partnership battery cell producer in Canada.
Picture by: Scout Motors
Scout Terra Electrical Pickup Truck
That is not all. In addition to being in numerous worth courses—Rivian’s present autos begin round $75,000 and attain into the $100,000 vary, whereas the Scout EVs are aiming to begin round $60,000—there are two very totally different approaches to the consumer expertise at work right here. Rivian’s interfaces famously (maybe infamously, primarily based on our evaluations) eschew conventional buttons for touchscreen controls, voice instructions and shortly, a clickwheel system mounted on the steering wheel to function numerous features.
Scout, then again, purposely went huge on buttons. The Scout ideas revealed final week have some good show models, positive, but additionally a row of bodily buttons, quantity knobs and steering wheel controls. Oh, and the Terra and Traveler will provide an elective bench seat as effectively, one other old-school throwback.
Lastly, the autos are totally different sizes. The Scout Traveler SUV is shorter than a Rivian R1S by about 10 inches, whereas Scout’s Terra truck is a few foot longer than an R1T.
So The place Do Rivian And Scout Intersect?
A wonderful query, and one which’s come up not too long ago. And this really does converse to that Volkswagen-Rivian tie-up that is within the works.
On the Scout idea debut, Keogh informed InsideEVs that the vehicles may use the brand new zonal structure being developed by that partnership—however solely that one, not something at the moment in use by Rivian. “It is vital to separate Rivian, the automobile firm, from the three way partnership,” Keogh mentioned. “These are two very various things. Rivian the automobile firm, we now have zero interplay with, completely nothing. However the three way partnership firm may probably [provide] the structure that’s on this car.”
That was confirmed on the opposite facet of issues by Rivian Chief Software program Officer Wassym Bensaid at TechCrunch’s Disrupt 2024 convention this week. Here is what Bensaid needed to say:
[Scout] mentioned on the time that the autos would use a zonal structure — which means it might depend on only a handful of computer systems that management the features of some “zones” of {the electrical} structure. And the software program in Scout’s press pictures appeared awfully just like what you could find in Rivian’s present autos, so Bensaid’s affirmation is just not all that stunning. Bensaid harassed on the Disrupt stage that every model that makes use of the three way partnership’s software program will “proceed to have their very own id,” in addition to “their very own options.”
“We’re enabling competitors,” he mentioned. Bensaid additionally famous how a lot the Scout autos resemble Rivian’s general design sensibility, even outdoors of the software program. “That’s unbelievable,” he mentioned. “It’s nice validation of the Rivian product.”
And TechCrunch is right that the software program proven within the Scout ideas does look very Rivian-ish. (Rivish?) Nonetheless, these autos are nonetheless simply ideas with manufacturing fashions at the very least three years away. Even when these autos share commonalities on the again finish that enable Scout to do issues Rivians can do, like over-the-air updates, it is extraordinarily possible each manufacturers will work to carve out their very own identities and distinctive interfaces after they really hit the market.
So What Did We Study In the present day, Class?
In the long run, whereas Scout and Rivian are each coming to market with comparable merchandise, designs, general vibes and possibly audiences, they aren’t the identical model or automobile.
I feel that what this ended up being is 2 totally different EV-oriented firms each coming to the identical conclusion about what American consumers love: huge vans and SUVs. In their very own methods, they took benefit of the form of retro-truck attraction that is extraordinarily in vogue proper now. Issues bought considerably difficult by the software program and tech team-up behind the scenes, however given what we have reported on Scout Motors’ improvement timeline, that actually did not appear to be the plan all alongside.
Furthermore, Scout’s goal debut date of 2027 can really feel like 500 years from now within the fast-moving world of contemporary EVs. We’re basing all of this on preliminary impressions, early official plans from each automakers and what we find out about the place each manufacturers are at in late 2024. It is completely doable that the ultimate manufacturing variations of the Scout autos may differ from these ideas in a roundabout way (although InsideEVs was informed they’re extraordinarily near the ultimate designs) and we will not rule out some form of deepened tie-up between VW, Rivian and Scout sooner or later. For now, that is simply hypothesis.
However in the event you suppose these two adventure-ready EVs are the identical factor, look a bit deeper.
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