I'll keep it short. The new Scout should be EV. I caught serious flak from the old guys on binderplanet.com several months back for announcing I'd like, as a dream vehicle, a Scout Traveler converted to EV.
Since then, I've realized that pure EV may not be the best.
With this in mind, and a member's comment about a longer front end with a bigger front boot(froot), I'd like to suggest the following:
The Scout should have a full-hybrid option with a small ICE engine. Not as a true powertrain, but as a generator. The biggest complaint you'll hear from EV skeptics is, "What happens when that battery runs out?" and this is more out of fear than anything else. No one wants to be stranded.
The hybrid option would alleviate this fear.
Now would it take away from froot space? Of course. But are we really losing that? If it had a 2.0T or a 392 V8, we wouldn't have that space anyway.
I can tell you. I'd enjoy the hell out of a rig that was fully EV, but when I'm out in the woods I know I have a little ICE as a backup up front.
Since then, I've realized that pure EV may not be the best.
With this in mind, and a member's comment about a longer front end with a bigger front boot(froot), I'd like to suggest the following:
The Scout should have a full-hybrid option with a small ICE engine. Not as a true powertrain, but as a generator. The biggest complaint you'll hear from EV skeptics is, "What happens when that battery runs out?" and this is more out of fear than anything else. No one wants to be stranded.
The hybrid option would alleviate this fear.
Now would it take away from froot space? Of course. But are we really losing that? If it had a 2.0T or a 392 V8, we wouldn't have that space anyway.
I can tell you. I'd enjoy the hell out of a rig that was fully EV, but when I'm out in the woods I know I have a little ICE as a backup up front.