- Scout Harvester plug-in collection hybrid will use LFP battery chemistry
- Harvester variations will not tow as a lot or speed up as rapidly as EVs
- Rear-mounted range-extender confirmed as a non-turbo 4-cylinder engine
The Volkswagen Group’s new Scout Motors model is not scheduled to ship its first automobiles for an additional two years, however particulars proceed to trickle out.
Scout unveiled idea variations of its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck final fall, with all-electric powertrains and a plug-in hybrid model dubbed Harvester. A drivable prototype of the Traveler lately appeared on “Jay Leno’s Storage,” with Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh fielding technical questions from comic and automotive presenter Jay Leno.
Scout has beforehand quoted a complete vary of 150 miles all-electric, amounting to a complete of 500 miles of mixed gasoline and electrical energy for the Harvester fashions. With their plug-in series-hybrid powertrain, a gasoline engine acts as a generator to constantly cost the battery pack, just like the Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
Scout Traveler prototype on Jay Leno’s Storage
The Scout CEO additionally confirmed that Harvester fashions will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells rather than the nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells for use in all-electric Scout fashions that purpose for 350 miles of vary. That is an odd alternative for a plug-in hybrid, the place NMC is mostly the usual because of its extra versatile energy supply traits, plus their increased vitality density in order to not add as a lot weight. However it could assist hold battery prices and carbon footprint low, one thing Scout has indicated are priorities.
The Harvester fashions’ range-extending generator shall be a naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine, Keogh confirmed, possible from the VW Group steady. Harvesters can have 15-gallon gas tanks and, along with all-electric and hybrid modes, a “Heavy Responsibility Mode” meant for severe-use functions like towing, Keogh mentioned.
Nevertheless, towing functionality shall be considerably much less for Harvester fashions than for all-electric fashions, Keogh indicated. He mentioned the plug-in hybrids would tow as much as 5,000 kilos, in comparison with 7,000 kilos for all-electric variations of the Traveler SUV and 10,000 kilos for the Terra pickup. That is possible because of the alternative of LFP battery chemistry, which is much less in a position to produce bursts of energy when referred to as upon like NMC chemistry.
When requested to verify why the Harvester fashions drop tow capability Scout spokesperson Kathy Graham informed Inexperienced Automotive Stories, “Scout Motors confirms projected towing of over 7,000 kilos for the Scout Traveler and over 10,000 kilos for the Scout Terra, each with almost 2,000 kilos of payload. We perceive the significance of optimizing the towing capability for Scout automobiles. Last towing and payload numbers for all fashions of the automobiles shall be launched nearer to manufacturing, which is focused to start in 2027.”
Plug-in hybrids will even be 1.0 second slower from 0-60 mph than EVs, Keogh mentioned. However at 4.5 seconds, they will nonetheless be fairly fast for large off-roaders. And in an interview revealed in January, Keogh mentioned the principle motivator for purchasers reserving the Harvester plug-in hybrids is avoiding vary nervousness, so these prospects is probably not as bothered by a dip in efficiency.
On the time of that interview, Keogh mentioned reservations for plug-in hybrid fashions have been outpacing all-electric fashions. He additionally informed Leno that the Traveler SUV at the moment accounts for 70% of reservations, with simply 30% of consumers choosing the Terra pickup.
Scout is actually residing up its identify throughout the VW Group, which does not at the moment have any range-extended EVs amongst its many manufacturers. Nor do these manufacturers use a body-on-frame structure like one developed for Scout to make sure real off-road functionality. Scout will even make use of the VW Group’s 800-volt experience whereas adopting Rivian’s zonal electrical structure, which VW now has entry to underneath its partnership with that automaker. As soon as pioneered by Scout, these options may very well be scaled to different automobiles throughout the VW Group.
