As Volkswagen Looks like Revive the Scout brand in the USHerbert Diess, CEO, sheds light on this decision and said it represents an opportunity for German car giants to “become much more American.”
Last Wednesday, VW announced plans to relaunch the Scout as a fully electric pickup and a “rugged” SUV. The prototype will be announced in 2023 and production will begin in 2026.
In the same announcement, the company said the vehicle was “designed, designed and manufactured in the United States for US customers.”
“The United States is our biggest growth opportunity,” said Dís, who spoke with CNBC’s Annette Weissbach last week.
He went on to explain why automakers are targeting the highly competitive American market.
“We are still very niche, very small and have a market share of about 4%. [in the country]”We want to gain up to 10% market share towards the end of the last decade,” he said.
Dís emphasized that the company has momentum, profitability and “really good progress in electric vehicles.”
These vehicles include a fully electric ID buzz inspired by the T1 minibus or “hippie” van. The European version of ID Buzz will be available this year, and sales of the American model will begin in 2024.
This image is from 1970 and shows people driving a version of the Volkswagen minibus at a rock festival in Oregon.
Brian Pain / Picks | Michael Ochs Archive | Getty Images
VW hopes that the introduction of Scouts and ID Buzz will continue the tradition of introducing iconic design to the US market. Over the years, these have included beetles and various iterations of the minibus as shown in the photo above.
Scout history dates back to the 1960s and was initiated by the International Harvester (originally an agricultural company, now known as Navistar International Corporation). Navistar is now part of the Trayton Group, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
Although Scout production ended in 1980, Volkswagen’s decision to relaunch and Dís’ comments provide clues to future strategies.
“If we really want to be relevant in America, we have to look at other segments,” he said. “And the pickup, the big SUV, is very, very big in America.”
Dís further described the Scout as “a brand loved in the United States, so it’s a good opportunity for us to become more American.”
When asked if the Scout pickup was for the US market only, he was uncommitted. “I don’t say’totally devoted’, but first and foremost … it’s an American product.”
“This will be an American product designed for the American environment for American customers. Will it be sold outdoors? Maybe it will be decided later,” Dice added. ..
This year, VW plans to set up an independent and independent company to design, design and manufacture scout topics and SUVs for the US market.
Volkswagen’s focus on electric vehicles is The “diesel gate” scandal that rocked it in the 2010s. Today, its electrification plans make it directly compete with well-established automakers like GM When FordRelative newcomers such as, and Tesla..
Dís was bullish on the company’s overall outlook for the United States in the future.
“We are increasing production capacity in the United States … ID4 production will begin at the Chattanooga facility later this year, around August,” he said.
“There is a program for Audi and Porsche to increase their market share …. In the United States, there will be several more products and electrical products for the United States.”
