Scout Motors, the Volkswagen-backed electric vehicle startup, has received roughly 212,000 reservations for its upcoming Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV. The company nears completion of its $2 billion manufacturing plant in South Carolina.
Full production is expected to begin next year, with customer deliveries starting in 2028. CEO Scott Keogh told CNBC he expects reservations could roughly double to over 400,000 by the time production begins. He aims to achieve an order book of 12 to 18 months of advance sales.
Reservations do not guarantee purchases. The U.S. auto industry has seen highly anticipated all-electric trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck attract strong early interest without converting to meaningful sales numbers.
Scout initially planned to offer only all-electric versions. The company changed course to also offer extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, which include an engine as a backup generator. Slower-than-expected EV adoption and higher costs drove the shift.
Roughly 87% of current reservations are for EREV models, and 75% are for the Traveler SUV rather than the Terra truck. Both vehicles are expected to start under $60,000. EREVs are expected to offer more than 500 miles of range compared with 300 miles for all-electric versions.
Scout plans to launch EREVs first, followed by all-electric models. The company will begin with mid-level models rather than highest-priced versions, a strategy that differs from many automakers.
Keogh said the plant is about 85% complete. A $300 million supplier park and supporting infrastructure continue to be installed.