Scout EV pickup production delayed from 2027 to summer 2028.
Blythewood plant targets 250,000-vehicle annual capacity at full output.
Volkswagen reassesses U.S. ambitions following sales declines and tariff costs.
Volkswagen has postponed the launch of its revived Scout electric truck brand by roughly one year, delaying initial production to summer 2028. The decision follows technical complications related to the program and possibly other factors.
The Scout brand had been positioned as a future central pillar in Volkswagen’s renewed effort to gain ground in the United States. The company is constructing a dedicated manufacturing facility in Blythewood, South Carolina, intended to assemble battery-electric pickup trucks and off-road SUVs under the Scout nameplate.
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The South Carolina plant is designed to produce up to 250,000 vehicles annually upon full ramp-up. That volume target was already considered ambitious given softer-than-expected demand for electric vehicles, especially pickups, in North America. The revised timeline pushes the start of production from the initially expected early 2027 to mid-2028. Based on the source story, earlier output is described internally as optimistic, indicating that further delays are possible.
Volkswagen declined to confirm the delay. A Scout spokesperson stated that the company has no update to provide regarding timing or product planning.
The postponement lands at a challenging moment for the German automaker’s U.S. operations. While the overall American auto market remained steady in 2025, the Volkswagen brand recorded a nearly 50,000-unit decline compared with the prior year. That drop occurred even though Volkswagen assembles vehicles locally in the United States, allowing partial insulation from tariff exposure.
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Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume recently signalled a recalibration of U.S. ambitions. In a published interview, he stepped back from the long-standing objective of securing a combined 10 % U.S. market share across VW brands.
Against that backdrop, the Scout relaunch has been viewed internally as a high-stakes initiative. Delays in South Carolina are intensifying pressure at headquarters in Wolfsburg. VW management is preparing additional cost-reduction measures as discussions about potentially shuttering major German facilities have resurfaced, despite the works council having blocked similar proposals in late 2024.
Source: Der Spiegel
