Volkswagen Considers Off-Road 4x4 Based On Scout's Ladder Frame

Scout Motors, a Volkswagen Group-owned startup, launched the Scout Terra pickup and Scout Traveler SUV last year as Jeep-rivaling electric vehicles inspired by the original International Harvester Scout. Both vehicles will be built at a new factory in South Carolina and are expected to make their market debut in 2028.

While Scout Motors operates independently, Volkswagen is closely monitoring the development of the company's house-made ladder-on-frame chassis. The platform is necessary to give the Scout models genuine off-road capability, something lacking in Volkswagen’s current MEB-based electric crossovers.

According to a report from Autocar, Volkswagen is interested in building its own off-road capable EV based on Scout's platform.

Scout’s chief technology officer, Burkhard Huhnke, said the brand’s mission is to create an efficient, cost-effective R&D operation that can develop off-road-capable EVs from scratch. He acknowledged that Volkswagen is keeping a close eye on the project. “You never get money for free.”

Volkswagen previously planned to launch an electric off-roader called the ID.Ruggdzz, but the project was scrapped in 2023 after a management shift. The original plan was for the Ruggdz to be built on the same T6 Ford Ranger platform that underpins the Amarok. Volkswagen never officially showed the ID. Ruggdzz to the public, but it did display the ID. Buggy project in 2019 before it too was abandoned.

Audi has also been linked to the platform. In 2023, reports suggested that Audi is exploring the possibility of developing its own electric 4x4, which could potentially be built alongside the Scout models to maximize production efficiency at the new U.S. plant.

Scout CEO Scott Keogh recently hinted that the South Carolina facility was designed to accommodate additional Volkswagen Group vehicles, making it a possible manufacturing hub for future off-road EVs under the Volkswagen and Audi brands. However, given the timelines for Scout’s launch, any Volkswagen-badged off-roader using the platform probably won't see the light of day until the next decade.

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