Buffeted by stormy financial weather and disappointing sales results, particularly in the U.S., Volkswagen has made clear it needs to reorganize its strategies and priorities as it seeks to further cut costs.
It’s in that context that the German auto giant is reportedly pushing back the launch of its Scout brand of electric trucks and utility vehicles. Production of the first Scout EV was set to begin in 2027, but it’s now scheduled for summer 2028. Although, the company cites technical challenges rather than financial worries as the reason behind the postponement.
Volkswagen is currently building a manufacturing plant in Blythewood, South Carolina to build the future series of Scout models, which is the core of the automaker’s plan to revive its fortunes in the lucrative U.S. market. The new plant will produce all-electric pickup trucks and off-road-focused SUVs, with the goal of ultimately turning out 250,000 vehicles per year.
There’s reason to think that figure may be revised downwards, and it’s also not unreasonable to expect there may be further delays in the start of production, whether for reasons of cost or to overcome the significant technical challenges that inevitably come with launching an all-new line of vehicles assembled at an all-new plant. And this is in an environment where the current federal administration is explicitly hostile to all-electric vehicles.
There’s quite a lot riding on the new Scout brand for VW, which saw its U.S. sales decline in 2025 by some 50,000 units compared to 2024. The automaker has ambitious goals to regain market share it has lost over the last few years, but Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume recently acknowledged that the company may have to revise its target of reaching a 10-percent market share in the U.S., counting all of the group’s brands.