Scout's 'Harvester' gasoline-powered EV range extender will be manufactured in Mexico.

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      In a somewhat unexpected decision considering the current state of international trade, Scout Motors has announced that it will obtain a gasoline engine from Volkswagen Group Mexico to function as the optional onboard "Harvester" range-extender. According to Automotive News, VW Group CFO Arno Antlitz confirmed during a recent earnings call that the Harvester will be a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine of unspecified size that will be produced at the company’s engine facility in Silao.

      The timing and location of this announcement imply that VW intends to maintain its strategy despite pressures to relocate more operations to the U.S., especially in light of recent indications from the administration suggesting a potential shift from its earlier tariff policies.

      There has been ongoing speculation about which engine might fulfill this role since Scout CEO Scott Keogh revealed that the motor would originate from the VW Group. Initially, we were leaning towards a small-displacement engine intended for VW Group's international offerings, but this announcement leaves us with little additional information. Silao manufactures the EA211 and EA288 series of four-cylinder engines for VW Group vehicles distributed across North America, but this does not provide significant insight, as the small-displacement engines available in North America are all turbocharged.

      Scout has named its range-extender “Harvester” as a tribute to the original Scout's manufacturer: International Harvester.

      We reached out to Scout Motors for further details and will update this story if we receive any important information.

      Although the response to the Harvester range extender's launch has been overwhelmingly positive (with Scout reporting that 80% of reservations included it), the announcement marks a shift for a company that initially branded itself as solely focused on battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Vehicles equipped with the Harvester will be fitted with a smaller battery pack, which will decrease their all-electric range but facilitate faster recharging. Keogh informed the media at CES this year that the engine will be positioned far from the driver (and likely insulated) to avoid disturbing the quiet that EV drivers typically expect.

      Adopting a gasoline range-extender isn't the only unusual approach taken by Scout. Unlike typical range-focused EVs, the Terra and Traveler will primarily be off-road vehicles, equipped with solid-axle suspensions and locking differentials. Nonetheless, they will be designed to leverage the benefits of an all-electric powertrain—including the capability to reach 60 mph in impressively rapid (sorry?) bursts. Scout claims that both the pickup and SUV models should achieve this feat in just 3.5 seconds.

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