Scout Says New Report Claiming Four Year Production Delay Is Wrong

Off-road and outdoorsy offerings are all the rage in the automotive world these days, and that makes it even harder to swallow the news that Scout Motors is apparently having difficulty hitting its production targets for the upcoming Traveler SUV and Terra pickup.

A recent report made it clear that delays were inevitable, and yet Scout came to the table with an official statement somewhat contradicting the news.

Applying the historic Scout name to modern vehicles with retro influence seems like a home run. People love four-by-fours (even if they don't need them), and the buying public loves retro; mix the two together, cram in ultra-modern drivetrains, and it seems like a recipe for success, if not at least one with a lot of promise.

Earlier this week, AutoForecast Solutions posted a report that claims the Scout Traveler SUV won't begin production until 2028, or a full year later than Scout initially said. The firm also notes the Terra pickup may not arrive until 2030.

Automotive News also reported on this, so between the two outlets, there is probably some merit to the claim.

Scout, however, says the claim is nonsense, with the automaker issuing an official statement on the matter:

"Scout Motors has not spoken with AutoForecast Solutions and we do not have anything additional to share regarding timing beyond what we've already announced. As we've previously shared, initial production is targeted to begin in 2027. We will start producing initial validation vehicles this year. That effort will continue and mature into 2027. We expect customers will begin taking delivery of new Scout vehicles in 2028."

It's clear Scout intends to continue working toward its target, so maybe the aforementioned reports are worst-case scenario situations being projected.

As a refresher, Scout is planning to launch the Terra and Traveler as fully electric vehicles with the option for range-extended versions, which use gas engines as a generator to charge the battery pack to help prevent range anxiety. Scout says the siblings should be good for 500-plus miles of travel on a single charge/tank versus just 350 miles from the pure electric trucks.

With sales of electric cars in the gutter, Scout Motors is pivoting to launch the extended range electric vehicle (EREV) first, instead of the full EV as was initially planned.