Dealerships Are Dying

[GotScout]

"What I would do..." (oh god....)


hoping you don't just make urban cruisers.... if you make a Bronco Killer... then you should have a "drive experience" training section, where (assuming) custom requests builds as desired... owner can fly in, and learn to drive THEIR SCOUT... ON COURSE with training. Similar to what BMW did with the drive and we'll ship them to you European gig of the 90's... and what some Land Rover dealers did.

Just give the crew some beer and let loose on the backhoes and then can cut the track right there in the backyard in Blythewood!!!

Then they are smarter, better drivers, and DEVOTED... then they drive them home... or fly and you ship. Easy... right?

 

[TaconicBear]

As I read this thread I am struck by the focus of the Legacy Scout community on doing things the way we always have as a legacy community. But as I see the new SM Scouts' development and marketing it cannot be much different from Ford's Bronco. To make money VW/SM will have to market to a wide audience and their vehicle will have to appeal broadly to the urban/suburban lifestyles. As difficult as it is for those of us who have owned, driven, and loved our Scouts for 50 to 60 years, we need to know that the motoring style we love cannot be more than a small percentage of SM's focus. Honestly, if SM shows up at our gatherings it will be a welcome nod to our past, but can be no more than a minor segment of their marketing effort. Thinking locally, the high concentration of «Scout New England» legacy owners in the territory from Boston to New Haven could make an appealing event, not because of us but because it is smack dab in the northern high income market segment of the Bos-Wash urban/suburban area. In short we have to realize that to get the attention and Scouts we long for, SM is going to have to sell a lot of vehicles to folks who will likely never even know of our legacy.

When it comes to service and support I believe that Tesla and Rivian are generating a lot of scenarios that will be teaching SM a lot. There's good and bad all over the place. When you hear of vehicles needing a tow of 3-400 miles to a service center, it doesn't have much appeal (AAA stops at 200 miles, eh). Rivian also has techs who come to you, which may be a solution for the rural owners. (Isn't that one of the original uses Ted Ornas envisioned for Scout 80s, a service station service truck?) The existing VW dealers might be in the mix of solutions. One would hope that we will be driving EM Scouts that are more a truck than a computer, and will be at least partially maintainable and repairable at a local garage or an experienced DIYer.

 

[J Alynn]

As I read this thread I am struck by the focus of the Legacy Scout community on doing things the way we always have as a legacy community. But as I see the new SM Scouts' development and marketing it cannot be much different from Ford's Bronco. To make money VW/SM will have to market to a wide audience and their vehicle will have to appeal broadly to the urban/suburban lifestyles. As difficult as it is for those of us who have owned, driven, and loved our Scouts for 50 to 60 years, we need to know that the motoring style we love cannot be more than a small percentage of SM's focus. Honestly, if SM shows up at our gatherings it will be a welcome nod to our past, but can be no more than a minor segment of their marketing effort. Thinking locally, the high concentration of «Scout New England» legacy owners in the territory from Boston to New Haven could make an appealing event, not because of us but because it is smack dab in the northern high income market segment of the Bos-Wash urban/suburban area. In short we have to realize that to get the attention and Scouts we long for, SM is going to have to sell a lot of vehicles to folks who will likely never even know of our legacy.

When it comes to service and support I believe that Tesla and Rivian are generating a lot of scenarios that will be teaching SM a lot. There's good and bad all over the place. When you hear of vehicles needing a tow of 3-400 miles to a service center, it doesn't have much appeal (AAA stops at 200 miles, eh). Rivian also has techs who come to you, which may be a solution for the rural owners. (Isn't that one of the original uses Ted Ornas envisioned for Scout 80s, a service station service truck?) The existing VW dealers might be in the mix of solutions. One would hope that we will be driving EM Scouts that are more a truck than a computer, and will be at least partially maintainable and repairable at a local garage or an experienced DIYer.

My daughter’s ‘23 Bronco just spent 15 days at the dealership due to a valve issue (one they’ve had with other Ford’s over the years). Day two they called us to tell us the entire engine would need pulled-no shit Sherlock. Then assured us their best guy was on it.
Knowing the lack of confidence I felt with them playing with an ICE on a 4,000 mile vehicle I don’t think I just want the tech guys at my local VW dealership playing with electronics that are-in theory-new to all of us including the vehicle trade industry.
I’m sure training is growing daily for the EV industry so that will help. I like the “come to me” concept but for many they don’t have enclosures and having a tech work in the rain on electronic parts seems a bit worrisome.
I’m still a fan of the early concept of Scout-posts that serve as delivery locations, service center (2-3 bays, nothing crazy) along with charging stations, hangout spaces to kill time while charging and even vending like the rest stops on I-95 and other similar highways.
I think Scout needs a presence and with that an interactive experience that brings them into the SM family

 

[Albal]

I also like the scout-posts idea, though I think Scouts (only) should be able to make reservations on both charging and boondocking (great idea!). Knowing that you'll have a spot to charge and relax in a "mini park" will remove most of the anxiety of EV tripping. These Posts could be peaceful , hidden spots a mile from the main highway so they're good for both people in a rush and people that are smelling the roses. And, as it happens, the real estate will be cheaper.

Whatever SM does, I hope they avoid all dealers (including VW ones). I've had uniformly terrible experiences with them. Nothing like placing a powerful, greedy and uninformed 3rd party between you and your customers to really mess things up.

How to bootstrap a good sales and service network is a difficult question. I actually think the initial sales part is easier. People are so used to simply buying online that most of them will probably simply do that. Especially once the Scout gets to be a somewhat known quantity (ie you occasionally see them around and see reviews online). A traveling "experience" demo and regional delivery centers (scout-posts) just outside major cities would handle folks that need a test drive. (I wonder how many Tesla buyers just buy one without any test drive. Go to the website, click click. Done). You could also have "pop up" stores. Rent highly visible locations for a few months so nobody can miss it, then move on to keep your costs low.

Service I think is a bigger issue. It seems that most vehicles get recalled at least once, so SM is probably considering how to handle that as efficiently as possible. After all, that's entirely on their dime. Certainly once the volume gets large you can expand your service network to a more traditional "drive in" model, but initially it's likely that the service centers will be an inconvenient distance away. Providing an "on site" (roving techs) model would have cheaper startup costs and provide the greatest possible customer convenience, turning a lemon into lemon-aide as far as the customer is concerned. For things that can't be handled in your home or work's parking lot, they could flat-bed a loaner to you and use that same flat-bed to take your car away to wherever to be fixed. Still 100% convenient for the customer. But for SM this will be expensive on a per-service basis.

Instead of trying to negotiate with independent VW dealers to provide service, it'd be better to supplement SM factory efforts with a new "EV service center" business (either entirely company owned or maybe as a franchise in order to stretch the dollars). Each EV Service Center would know how to service popular EVs, including Scouts. Going this route would allow profitable service centers even in places that don't have a lot of Scouts (yet!). After things scale up awhile, they'll be a lot of service centers everywhere. At that point, you drop the on site service option (or make it an extra fee). This could be a big business by itself. And the EV Service Centers could negotiate to provide warranty service for other EV startups. After all, initial service is a big problem for startups. Hmmm...what to call it. How about SA, "Service America".

 

[J Alynn]

I also like the scout-posts idea, though I think Scouts (only) should be able to make reservations on both charging and boondocking (great idea!). Knowing that you'll have a spot to charge and relax in a "mini park" will remove most of the anxiety of EV tripping. These Posts could be peaceful , hidden spots a mile from the main highway so they're good for both people in a rush and people that are smelling the roses. And, as it happens, the real estate will be cheaper.

Whatever SM does, I hope they avoid all dealers (including VW ones). I've had uniformly terrible experiences with them. Nothing like placing a powerful, greedy and uninformed 3rd party between you and your customers to really mess things up.

How to bootstrap a good sales and service network is a difficult question. I actually think the initial sales part is easier. People are so used to simply buying online that most of them will probably simply do that. Especially once the Scout gets to be a somewhat known quantity (ie you occasionally see them around and see reviews online). A traveling "experience" demo and regional delivery centers (scout-posts) just outside major cities would handle folks that need a test drive. (I wonder how many Tesla buyers just buy one without any test drive. Go to the website, click click. Done). You could also have "pop up" stores. Rent highly visible locations for a few months so nobody can miss it, then move on to keep your costs low.

Service I think is a bigger issue. It seems that most vehicles get recalled at least once, so SM is probably considering how to handle that as efficiently as possible. After all, that's entirely on their dime. Certainly once the volume gets large you can expand your service network to a more traditional "drive in" model, but initially it's likely that the service centers will be an inconvenient distance away. Providing an "on site" (roving techs) model would have cheaper startup costs and provide the greatest possible customer convenience, turning a lemon into lemon-aide as far as the customer is concerned. For things that can't be handled in your home or work's parking lot, they could flat-bed a loaner to you and use that same flat-bed to take your car away to wherever to be fixed. Still 100% convenient for the customer. But for SM this will be expensive on a per-service basis.

Instead of trying to negotiate with independent VW dealers to provide service, it'd be better to supplement SM factory efforts with a new "EV service center" business (either entirely company owned or maybe as a franchise in order to stretch the dollars). Each EV Service Center would know how to service popular EVs, including Scouts. Going this route would allow profitable service centers even in places that don't have a lot of Scouts (yet!). After things scale up awhile, they'll be a lot of service centers everywhere. At that point, you drop the on site service option (or make it an extra fee). This could be a big business by itself. And the EV Service Centers could negotiate to provide warranty service for other EV startups. After all, initial service is a big problem for startups. Hmmm...what to call it. How about SA, "Service America".

I had proposed an idea to @Jamie@ScoutMotors to use mobile shipping containers. Then do regional deliveries and also use them for events at MOAB or Scout meet-ups. Tight squeeze but might work then a trailer hauls two in and other trailers haul in the delivery vehicles. Could probably set it up in mall parking lots

 

[ddg520]

I've been thinking in another direction these past few days with regards to Scout being a ground up SUV manufacture....dealerships?? Scout Motors appears to be distancing themselves from VW, creating their own identity, and not planning to use VW's already established dealership infrastructure (correct @Jamie@ScoutMotors @Chris@ScoutMotors ?). On a national level recent talks of car dealerships dying off after the covid pandemic seems to be a real thing. Then there is the simple fact that who likes to deal with car salesman anyway?!?!? So, how do you deliver the Scouts to their new owners?

1. Let the buyer come to you. Some would love this (as mentioned previously - watching their Scout built then driving it home https://scoutmotors.community.forum/threads/idea-cradle-to-delivery.48/ ), but fair to say most would not due to the distance. We would still hope to see it as an option for the buyer. It would also potentially help take some upfront expense off the initial purchase price.
2. Carvana style - no dealerships, delivers to buyers driveway. On a mass scale seems like a logistical worry, as well as higher initial cost due to delivery fees.
3. Delivery hubs - combines the two by drastically cutting down on drop off locations and buyer drives a respectful distance to pick up their new Scout.

Here is where my head wondered off too from there: What if you were able to create delivery hubs where people plan to pick up their new Scout that they ordered online, and look to not locate them in the larger cities. Rather, strategically place them between major cities, on major highways, within the range limits of the batteries. This can potentially encompass multiple cities within the Scouts range radius, reducing the required number of structures in comparison to the dealerships approach in every city. These locations are designed to not only be a drop off/pick up point, but a charging park as well that helps bridge the gaps of the nation’s current range anxiety. The charging park itself is open to all EV types traveling by, which should be an additional source of income for Scout Motors.

View attachment 531

Depending on where other charging locations pop up between now and 2026, Scout Motors might be able to look more at filling in the "off the beaten path" locations, which would hold more true with the Scout name anyway.....maybe selecting more of a destination, than a driving through location. A cool old downtown square with a local shops and a brewery that gives the passengers something to do while charging, or a scenic overlook that helps the world slow down just a bit while charging. Maybe a few of the charging stations within the charging facility are made to be a bit more challenging to access - "Scout Owners Beyond This Point Only"

For some time now I been waiting for the first group of investors that figure out the new era of an EV convenience stores that caters to a traveler that has to take the time to recharge, but is presented with a number of different activities to help pass the time. Things like: an indoor play area for kids to burn off some built up energy, or a bon fire pit area that kids (when accompanied by a parent) can purchase a smores kit, or a Scout Store area to shop and purchase Scout apparel and Scout Motor accessories , or coffee/drinks served in an outdoor lounge type area overlooking a scenic view, or rent a picnic area with a grill and an included meal to grill so you don't have to bring the food supplies on your cross country journey, heck could even rent out rustic "glamping tents" with the overnight charger approach......if you're picking up on what I'm laying down here the possibilities are endless to help change the perception of the dreaded EV charge time. Each locations could have the standard activities that everyone would expect to see at each location as well as unique activates to that particular location, creating an urge to stop at other ones. It's taking the approach of getting away from the hustle and bustle of pulling up to the pump, race inside for drinks/snacks, and hurry back to get on the road again. Instead, realizing that if you are using rapid chargers you have been on the road for a number of hours and a break from the road isn't the worst thing for you anyway.

In the end the hope would be that an approach like this would cost less than the expense of dealership type structures in multiple cities, all while helping to fill the range anxiety void as well as create another source of income for Scout Motors. Not to mention this could be laid out to accommodate a Scout Community event meeting point as well, drawing in old and new surrounding Scout clubs.

Times are changing! Scout Motors can use this opportunity to resculpt a new norm of how buyers purchase new vehicles.....a better way! Car salesmen are the worst

Holy shit! You have done some really good work here. Love it. I would want save money by cutting out the dealer. What about maintenance? Still need some

 

[ddg520]

Holy shit! You have done some really good work here. Still need some shops to officially service them in a way that is warranty compliant. Be cool if independent shops can get certified and really open up the potential. Of course for a brand to maintain quality and profit, these shops would have to use OME only.

 

[J Alynn]

Still like your thoughts @Harris005

 

[GotScout]

....Still need some shops to officially service them.....

That's silly... they should just build them right so they don't break.

 

[Ecca]

they aren't very motivated to sell EVs because they will literally be put out of business by them

Don't worry, dealerships can happily tack on a $40k "market adjustment" and still find buyers signing $1000/mo leases with the increased capitalized cost

 

[ddg520]

That's silly... they should just build them right so they don't break.

Lol. True. Would love that they are built to that spec!!!!!!

 

[LastDayScout]

That's silly... they should just build them right so they don't break.

If a human made it, it can break.

 

[TaconicBear]

...
Whatever SM does, I hope they avoid all dealers (including VW ones). I've had uniformly terrible experiences with them. Nothing like placing a powerful, greedy and uninformed 3rd party between you and your customers to really mess things up.
...

Couldn't agree more - almost. Oddly enough, there are two dealers, one a GM and the other Toyota, each about 30 miles from me, that don't fit that mold. Both are in small towns, are community oriented, been there a very long time, and do business the way we all wish automotive dealers would operate. There is no up-selling on service visits, no hidden extras when you buy, and most telling is that you see the same techs in the service department year after year. OTOH, I know techs who quit a nearby dealer because they wouldn't stand for the unethical practices and pressure. My recent tour of regional dealers in seeking a replacement pickup produced plenty of evidence to support your point. I bought my new Tundra from the dealer I first mentioned rather than the three who were closer.

For SM to find the few ethical dealers to partner with would be a difficult task. OTOH, hiring staff for any of the various distribution and service centres that are being proposed will also be tricky. Many if not most of the applicants will come from the "auto dealer" industry and be baggaged with the attitudes we loathe so much. Stories I read on the Rivian groups certainly show signs of staff not operating within the ethical framework that the company espouses. So in addition to finding a distribution and service plan that fits both urban and rural settings, it also will need to develop an educational plan to support the new modes of customer interface and the ethics to make it successful.

 

[perpsi_or_cocacola]

So many great ideas! The concept of dealerships is on its way out for sure. People want experiences and walk away from the concept of creepy sales people and clinical spaces. New electric car companies are vesting in pop up events and high traffic shopping malls and districts. At Lucid, they call it a studio where people can learn about the technology and have a lifestyle experience, for example. When traveling in Europe, specifically Munich, most car "studios" are an all around experience: Mercedes has a DJ boot, cafe and even yoga classes. A really interesting concept are the club spaces designed for Lynk&Co: a combination of art, working space and chill club for its members. Their cars are now all over Europe and being used at the big rental companies as the SUV electric alternative. So many opportunities in the realm that can be redesigned with preserving Scouts brand. Cant wait to see.

 

[J Alynn]

So many great ideas! The concept of dealerships is on its way out for sure. People want experiences and walk away from the concept of creepy sales people and clinical spaces. New electric car companies are vesting in pop up events and high traffic shopping malls and districts. At Lucid, they call it a studio where people can learn about the technology and have a lifestyle experience, for example. When traveling in Europe, specifically Munich, most car "studios" are an all around experience: Mercedes has a DJ boot, cafe and even yoga classes. A really interesting concept are the club spaces designed for Lynk&Co: a combination of art, working space and chill club for its members. Their cars are now all over Europe and being used at the big rental companies as the SUV electric alternative. So many opportunities in the realm that can be redesigned with preserving Scouts brand. Cant wait to see.

Cool idea-love the more urban approach. In urban locations go that approach and rural areas go outdoor fire pits/cornhole, a climbing wall on exterior and outdoorsy stuff (and use as a rest stop/charging location) which covers two large demographics. For my generation you can set up in retirement home parking lots and offer 4pm blue plate specials, pickle ball and bocce courts . Just kidding-I’m not quite that old

 

[Mousehunter]

I am OK with using VW as service centers. My step son was a VW mechanic. I don't think they would let anyone at the dealership touch and ID if they were not certified/trained first - and at that point in time, it meant 1 mechanic at the dealership was certified. Texas does not allow direct sales, but Tesla got around that by shipping in vehicles from out of state - which is funny because some have to be shipped out of Texas and shipped back in. They have a service center network, which is good - but only in major metro areas. There are probably less of those than VW dealerships. My main issue with VW is they are also only in major urban areas - I have to drive 1-2hrs to get work done at a dealer. Lots of work local shops will not touch on a VW (apparently there were issues in the past with VW's killing their diagnostic computers. So here I sit with a VW in front of my house that is limping along (over 6 months now)- not wanting to take 2 days out of my life (and my wife's life - need a ride home) to take it to a dealer, wait, and pick it up again. A conceire service would be expensive, but very convienent. This is the second time it has sat there for months. I love my TDI Golf, but it has had a LOT of down time because the dealers are so far away (I worked in the city when I purchased it). At least with the Scout, I could put on one of my flat bed trailers to get it to a dealer.

Speaking of which... One thing I appreciate about my old Jeep is I can flat tow it when it needs to go to the mechanic. But sometimes I think I flat tow it more than I drive it. I have also trailered it almost as many miles as I have driven it. SAD...

 

[TaconicBear]

I'm glad some are showing concern for those rural folks amongst the potential purchasers, that could be a substantial part of sales if VW/SM does produce a Service Utility Vehicle model. Yes, distance driven to the dealer/service center is a concern, particularly when dealing with a technically complex vehicle. As I have travelled this country to participate in antique truck events it has become clear that "too far" has very different meanings in different regions. The distinction is highly related to the roads. For instance in New England most roads follow rivers or were laid out by First Nations peoples or later by colonist's cows, while in the central and mid-west areas the highways follow section lines -- die straight for hundreds of miles. Folks in New England and much of the east coast find long distances when it's two towns over vs. folks from the prairies drive 100 miles for groceries (o.k., I exaggerate a bit but not much). These are real distinctions which engender real cultural differences between regions. VW/SM or any corporation designing a new distribution and support network has to be as aware of this just as much as they must be of designing for baked batteries in Phoenix vs. frozen ones in Yellowknife.

 

[Mousehunter]

Sadly, we do drive 100 miles for groceries occasionally- but that is a LOT easier than driving 100 miles to get a car worked on. Groceries are a single trip, and can be done by a single person. Taking a vehicle in for service generally means leaving it there for a few days - so that requires 2 vehicles, 2 drivers, and 2 trips (or if you count both vehicles, 4 trips).

I can joke about the ability to flat tow - but it has made keeping my LJ running a LOT less of a nightmare (it has been a nightmare - but at least one I could deal with myself). I have used a car trailer a couple times now, and a heavy equipment trailer - but honestly those are a lot more effort (and good luck finding parking spaces to deal with them). I would hate to add up the money if I had to pay to have it towed each time (so far in all occasions, it has been running, just not running perfectly).

 

[TaconicBear]

Sadly, we do drive 100 miles for groceries occasionally- but that is a LOT easier than driving 100 miles to get a car worked on. Groceries are a single trip, and can be done by a single person. Taking a vehicle in for service generally means leaving it there for a few days - so that requires 2 vehicles, 2 drivers, and 2 trips (or if you count both vehicles, 4 trips).

I can joke about the ability to flat tow - but it has made keeping my LJ running a LOT less of a nightmare (it has been a nightmare - but at least one I could deal with myself). I have used a car trailer a couple times now, and a heavy equipment trailer - but honestly those are a lot more effort (and good luck finding parking spaces to deal with them). I would hate to add up the money if I had to pay to have it towed each time (so far in all occasions, it has been running, just not running perfectly).

This scenario is certainly an argument for the Right to Repair laws. Right now with technology in all vehicles (especially the hybrid and totally electric) advancing at a hectic pace (and frankly quite experimentally in some cases) our repair and maintenance future will necessarily be a mix of corporate service centres and local service shops. I frankly am very wary of the current dealership model based on commission sales and upselling every possible condition or repair in the service department. Some here say they'd be o.k. with VW dealers providing service -- but would they be able to shed their established ways of gouging every cent from customers? Doubtful. Can SM develop a comprehensive repair manual and support Q&A staff that it can make available via the internet to support established small-town mechanics in most of the repairs? Maybe offer some training courses to them. I'm sure the owner-mechanic of our local garage would jump at the chance to become the area's expert for Scout Motors' vehicle(s). I almost said 'alternatively' but realistically there needs to be a mix of solutions, so I like what I read about some remote Rivian owners being visited by a Rivian service tech in a truck at their home location. Sometimes they fix, sometimes just confirm a diagnosis and set up the proper repair.

Where I live is rural, the big dealerships are only an hour's drive across the mountains. I doubt a Rivian or Tesla lives in town, but we do see them on the weekends as we live on a heavily-travelled route between the big city and the country homes of the weekly commuters and the work-from-home crowd. Our local garage has always had a brisk weekend business with these people. If I owned that garage I'd be getting my mechanics trained up on the latest tech for the hybrids and electrics. The new Scout will appeal to that group of people, as well as to the smaller group of us who might really exercise them on the farm or off road. Having local service, trained and supported by SM, will support us best.

 

[Harris005]

I've been thinking in another direction these past few days with regards to Scout being a ground up SUV manufacture....dealerships?? Scout Motors appears to be distancing themselves from VW, creating their own identity, and not planning to use VW's already established dealership infrastructure (correct @Jamie@ScoutMotors @Chris@ScoutMotors ?). On a national level recent talks of car dealerships dying off after the covid pandemic seems to be a real thing. Then there is the simple fact that who likes to deal with car salesman anyway?!?!? So, how do you deliver the Scouts to their new owners?

1. Let the buyer come to you. Some would love this (as mentioned previously - watching their Scout built then driving it home https://scoutmotors.community.forum/threads/idea-cradle-to-delivery.48/ ), but fair to say most would not due to the distance. We would still hope to see it as an option for the buyer. It would also potentially help take some upfront expense off the initial purchase price.
2. Carvana style - no dealerships, delivers to buyers driveway. On a mass scale seems like a logistical worry, as well as higher initial cost due to delivery fees.
3. Delivery hubs - combines the two by drastically cutting down on drop off locations and buyer drives a respectful distance to pick up their new Scout.

Here is where my head wondered off too from there: What if you were able to create delivery hubs where people plan to pick up their new Scout that they ordered online, and look to not locate them in the larger cities. Rather, strategically place them between major cities, on major highways, within the range limits of the batteries. This can potentially encompass multiple cities within the Scouts range radius, reducing the required number of structures in comparison to the dealerships approach in every city. These locations are designed to not only be a drop off/pick up point, but a charging park as well that helps bridge the gaps of the nation’s current range anxiety. The charging park itself is open to all EV types traveling by, which should be an additional source of income for Scout Motors.

View attachment 531

Depending on where other charging locations pop up between now and 2026, Scout Motors might be able to look more at filling in the "off the beaten path" locations, which would hold more true with the Scout name anyway.....maybe selecting more of a destination, than a driving through location. A cool old downtown square with a local shops and a brewery that gives the passengers something to do while charging, or a scenic overlook that helps the world slow down just a bit while charging. Maybe a few of the charging stations within the charging facility are made to be a bit more challenging to access - "Scout Owners Beyond This Point Only"

For some time now I been waiting for the first group of investors that figure out the new era of an EV convenience stores that caters to a traveler that has to take the time to recharge, but is presented with a number of different activities to help pass the time. Things like: an indoor play area for kids to burn off some built up energy, or a bon fire pit area that kids (when accompanied by a parent) can purchase a smores kit, or a Scout Store area to shop and purchase Scout apparel and Scout Motor accessories , or coffee/drinks served in an outdoor lounge type area overlooking a scenic view, or rent a picnic area with a grill and an included meal to grill so you don't have to bring the food supplies on your cross country journey, heck could even rent out rustic "glamping tents" with the overnight charger approach......if you're picking up on what I'm laying down here the possibilities are endless to help change the perception of the dreaded EV charge time. Each locations could have the standard activities that everyone would expect to see at each location as well as unique activates to that particular location, creating an urge to stop at other ones. It's taking the approach of getting away from the hustle and bustle of pulling up to the pump, race inside for drinks/snacks, and hurry back to get on the road again. Instead, realizing that if you are using rapid chargers you have been on the road for a number of hours and a break from the road isn't the worst thing for you anyway.

In the end the hope would be that an approach like this would cost less than the expense of dealership type structures in multiple cities, all while helping to fill the range anxiety void as well as create another source of income for Scout Motors. Not to mention this could be laid out to accommodate a Scout Community event meeting point as well, drawing in old and new surrounding Scout clubs.

Times are changing! Scout Motors can use this opportunity to resculpt a new norm of how buyers purchase new vehicles.....a better way! Car salesmen are the worst

No idea on what Scout Motors approach on this topic will be, but I passed a cool old brick building the other day as you approach downtown Kansas City with a faintly painted "International Harvester" on it. It got me thinking, what a cool place for a Scout Motors Hub! ....which then got me thinking about the above post again and how Scout Motors could ask the people to post interesting spots to consider. Nobody knows the areas better than the people that live in them.

So here is one of mine:

This is in the West Bottoms area, which has a lot of history and old buildings. Most of which are being snatched up and revitalized. Scout Motors could be the next one

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.097...O9U7Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&entry=ttu



Who has other ideas? Copy/Paste Google street view link and a picture. An abandoned old brick building in a small downtown square? Scenic overlook between major cities? Something off the beaten path? Location with things to do in the area while charging?