VW to Establish First Manufacturing Plant for Scout Brand Near Columbia, South Carolina

Volkswagen's US brand, Scout Motors Inc., has announced plans to establish its first manufacturing plant near Columbia, South Carolina, where it will build next-generation trucks and rugged SUVs. The $2 billion investment has the potential to create 4,000 or more permanent jobs.

At full capacity, more than 200,000 Scout vehicles may be produced annually at the facility.

Scout’s trucks and SUVs will be built on a newly designed all-electric platform.

The site spans approximately 1,600 acres, with the plant itself occupying 1,100 acres. Its strategic location is less than 20 miles north of Columbia and near major cities and talent hubs such as Charleston, Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta.

Groundbreaking is planned for mid-2023 and production is projected to begin by the end of 2026.

Scout Motors was formed to craft all-electric trucks and SUVs rooted in the same tradition that made the original Scout an iconic American brand.

Scott Keogh, President and CEO of Scout Motors, says: “We’re honored to partner with South Carolina to usher in this new era for Scout. Scout has been an American icon since introducing an SUV in 1960. It's the vehicle that took your family on a camping trip, that gave access to the great outdoors, and that showed up on the job site every morning. Today, we’re reimagining Scout’s original ingenuity and electrifying its future. We’re bringing the Scout spirit to South Carolina and it's going to be a hell of a ride.”

Scout Motors is an independent US company, backed by Volkswagen Group.