Scout Motors chooses Michigan for new research hub to explore future electric truck innovation

Infant electric truck brand Scout Motors is expanding its US footprint, announcing plans for a new “Innovation Center” in Michigan that will become home to its R&D, design, and engineering, creating hundreds of new jobs in the area.

Scout is the classic nameplate originating from the International Harvester Scout – an off-road vehicle from the ’60s and ’70s. In 2022, Volkswagen Group confirmed it would revive the brand, but as an entirely electric marque targeting a similar customer demographic as the Rivian R1 EVs.

Since then, we’ve only seen the teaser renderings of the potential Scout EVs, but we know they will be built in the US. With a development partner recently secured in Magna Steyr – Scout appears poised to show the world its first crack at all-electric trucks in 2024.

To help develop EVs and adjacent technologies in the future, however, the old but young Scout brand is establishing a new US footprint in Michigan.

Scout to expand to Novi, Michigan, add 200 jobs

Scout Motors shared details of its plans for the Innovation Center, which will be established in Novi, Michigan, about 30 miles northwest of Detroit. When complete, Scout says the Innovation Center will become home to its product, design, engineering teams and those offering cross-functional support to multiple departments.

Scout relayed that it chose The Great Lakes State because it is one of the leaders in global EV and mobility development and leads the nation in mobility-related patents. Scout president and CEO Scott Keogh elaborated:

Our new vehicles will honor Scout’s hard-working heritage while injecting fresh American ingenuity to create a new era of iconic all-purpose vehicles. As we design and engineer our vehicles, Michigan is the perfect place to establish our Innovation Center due to its deep automotive roots, continued investment in innovation and ability to attract and train a talented, diverse workforce.

The establishment of Scout’s Innovation Center will be supported by a performance-based grant under a Michigan Business Development Program. Programs like this helped the state garner over $14 billion in electric vehicle and battery investments last year, bringing new opportunities for work.

Scout’s new R&D facility is expected to create 200 new engineering jobs in Michigan, adding to the nearly 300 employees the Volkswagen sub-brand has hired since its inception in 2022. When complete, the Innovation Center will serve Scout’s electric truck production facility, which is currently being erected in South Carolina.

As we’ve reported, Scout Motors’ first all-electric truck models remain on track tov debut next year.