What If?

[JohnBills]

If there are multiple cameras then I would love to be able to choose to record when I'm on a trail or taking on a particular obstacle. Then using AI editing, like Adobe and Apple offer, I can select the event I just recorded and it cuts together a brief highlight video from the multiple angles and sends it to my phone so I can share it. Or I can have access to the raw clips if I want to edit it myself. I'd even take an internal camera and mic that faces the driver and passengers so I can capture reactions.

There would also need to be privacy policies in place though so Scout can't access the footage stored on vehicles. Only the owners.

 

[Sweetwilliam56]

The problem I and my dad encountered in the late 80’s & early 90’s running his 1973 Scout through the deep backwood trails & two-tracks of Northern MI was the “Deep Ruts”. The rear dif box getting hung-up as the wheels sunk into the deep, mud-dug, two-tracks. Didn’t matter how much grip the 15in Ground Hawg tires had…If the rear dif is dragging, great tires are useless. (or stuck…But of course, a Scout has Never been stuck. Not ever. Just to be clear).
So my advanced 9th grade engineering mind put pencil to paper. I was familiar with U-joints, and CV joints (in FW drive K-cars & Omnis)…So, why not mount the rear dif up higher? With half-shafts slanting down to the wheel hubs?
I was a friggin genius. Apparently, U.S. Military Intelligence spies at my school thought I was too, because yrs later I discovered that’s Exactly how the Humvee works!
Son-of-a-. It’s my exact drawing.

I don’t know what the drivetrain is gonna be here- Straight axles? Or independent? I’ve seen electric prototypes both ways. (Think maybe the new Jeep is concept is straight axle?)
Extreme off-road guys love straight axles…But I don’t.
Real-world use? Nobody is going rock-crawling. On the backroads, gimme ground clearance. Without having to add a crazy lift, or springs and huge wheels & tires.

 

[absentEE]

An idea, but guessing the science/math shoot it down . The thought I was mulling over comes from the combination of range anxiety primarly being long road trips at highway speeds and windmill generators.

Who remembers this commercial?

At highway speeds we are creating a rapid air flow over the front of a vehicle. Would the incorperations of a series of long, narrow squirel cage fans in
View attachment 932
place of the old radiator location be able to harness enough energy at highway speeds to make a difference? My thinking was the guts of a generator would be mounted within something simular to the above picture. The mangets themselves would be attached to the inside of the rotational fan blade portion. Generators attached to either end would be an option too, and possibly easier to maintain. Weather would be a concern. Rain water would have to be deverted to drain out the bottom of the Scout, and snow and ice would have to be countered with a heating element.

In the spirit of this thread, an off the wall idea was thrown out there to gnaw on. Maybe Scouts iconic square front end aligns well with the surface area needed to pull this off??

Finding a way to implement it effectively could be tough from a cost/weight/packaging/complexity standpoint, may turn out to be more doable/practical on vehicles with large frontal areas like semi trucks but just a guess.

 

[Harris005]

Finding a way to implement it effectively could be tough from a cost/weight/packaging/complexity standpoint, may turn out to be more doable/practical on vehicles with large frontal areas like semi trucks but just a guess.

Interesting video. It was intriguing to hear it has been tested and found to increase range by 10% at least.

I also picked up on his comparison he made with a stream of water slightly hitting his hand vs his hand being perpendicular to the stream of water causing a lot of drag. It made me wonder if the squirrel cage blades couldnt protrude slightly past the surface of a wind tunnel (or surface of the vehicle) creating minimum drag with the fan itself.

 

[Chaparral]

I've seen articles that suspect Apple will open up its MagSafe standards to other devices. If it gains more universal use I'd love to see MagSafe in vehicles. I'd love to charge my phone but have the magnet to keep it from sliding around.

I'm not an engineer and I know magnets aren't cheap but I'd love some magnetic mounting points for temporary accessories when camping or working. If certain "MagSafe" spots on the vehicle allowed for something like a hook to attach to the side panels to dry clothes or towels. Or a temporary shelf so I can set a tool or lunch down but not on the ground (a place to just set stuff down is an area that seriously lacks in vehicles in general). Or a rechargeable LED flood light that can articulate for temporarily lighting a job site or campground (and if the mounting points were MagSafe then they could even power the lights). Or a way to mount a tablet for tailgating or your phone for group pictures. Or to hold a small trash bag. I love magnets, okay!

There would also need to be a way for the vehicle to detect when a magnetic exterior accessory is attached because people would definitely forget to remove them before driving. When you start the vehicle a big overlay on the cluster and screen would need to say magnet accessories need to be removed before driving if you've forgotten to detach anything.

I believe something very similar to MagSafe is going to be a new standard. Apple contributed their proprietary tech to the standards body.

I love things that attach magnetically where appropriate and MagSafe as a mounting attachment is great. However, I do prefer wired charging in the car because inductive is inefficient, slower and generates a lot of heat. Wired is often superior for CarPlay because many implementations of wireless CarPlay (with uses wifi direct) have an unacceptable lag.

I’d love to see a modular approach to the dash, with modules that can be unscrewed and switched out.

There should be a place that could be used to attach a cell phone but this should just be one module, so a MagSafe system could be one option but it could be switched out for a different kind of attachment mechanism (or you could choose for example between MagSafe charging or MagSafe attachment with wired charging). There might even be the option for a holster for a radio handset or other options entirely.

The dash could have multiple interchangeable modules with various options such as aux switches, aux displays/gauges such as a compass/Inclinometer/barometer etc. Some of the standard controls could also be in these modules. This would also result in a dash that would be somewhat customizable, so the user could decide what goes where. It also opens the door for easy future upgrades and/or aftermarket products.

Another idea I had is for a camera mount type threaded hole on top of the dash so that the user can mount their own dash cam or some other device.

 

[Chaparral]

If there are multiple cameras then I would love to be able to choose to record when I'm on a trail or taking on a particular obstacle. Then using AI editing, like Adobe and Apple offer, I can select the event I just recorded and it cuts together a brief highlight video from the multiple angles and sends it to my phone so I can share it. Or I can have access to the raw clips if I want to edit it myself. I'd even take an internal camera and mic that faces the driver and passengers so I can capture reactions.

There would also need to be privacy policies in place though so Scout can't access the footage stored on vehicles. Only the owners.

I’d really like it if it was easy to copy recorded multi-camera footage from the camera system. I’d like to see an SD card in the dash or an easy way to upload recent footage to a connected phone (or more likely through a connected phone to whatever cloud storage the user prefers).

Sharing video footage with a phone might be something that could be accomplished by means of a Scout CarPlay app.

It would also be cool to be able to access the cameras remotely from a phone or computer when the vehicle is parked for the purpose of security footage/monitoring even if this is only possible when the vehicle is on a driveway at home and connected to wifi. I’d love it if when I parked at home the vehicles cameras become part of my local HomeKit Secure Video network and show up alongside all the other security cameras and on all the devices in the family including the Apple TV.

User privacy with respect to camera footage should not be protected by a policy. It should be physically impossible for Scout to access.

 

[J Alynn]

Sadly I saw the post above from the commercial with the pig hanging out. After hosting an archery event this weekend at a new location, running a generator I had a thought but the tech folks on here will need to tell me if I’m nuts.
What if an option in the Frunk was made to essentially have a mobile toaster oven/George Foreman grill? How much electric would be needed to either cook while traveling (lasagna during 40 minute drive to family get together) or as a tailgate feature- or simply connecting a crockpot ( with a “holder” insert option that keeps food for a holiday party hot/finishing while traveling. I think there would be a potential for this especially for beaching it or quick food cook while parked at a sports stadium. No packing propane and grill. Literally turn on the frunk “broiler”, toss on the burgers in a travel/foil tray and let the hot electric coils cook your food. If your less than 40-50 miles from the event would there be enough juice to create something like this ?

 

[J Alynn]

Electric vehicle doesn’t need/have a traditional grill but it could have a non-traditional grill

 

[Chaparral]

Electric vehicle doesn’t need/have a traditional grill but it could have a non-traditional grill

I’d like to see a kitchen add-on for those that would use it. Personally, I’ wouldn’t opt for it.

When we camp I cook over an open fire. I’m often in places where there are bear and no food can be left in the vehicle, it all has to go in the bear locker. Even the slightest hint of food will attract bears to the vehicle so I’d rather not have any kitchen equipment built into the SUV. If I could add one appliance to the vehicle it might be an ice-maker. Replenishing ice in your cooler when you’re in a remote area can be a problem, a cold cooler is a necessity and ice in your drinks at a campsite is a very welcome luxury in the summer. I don’t expect Scout to offer an ice-maker option but I do expect a couple of power outlets.

 

[RebelliousPeasant]

Sadly I saw the post above from the commercial with the pig hanging out. After hosting an archery event this weekend at a new location, running a generator I had a thought but the tech folks on here will need to tell me if I’m nuts.
What if an option in the Frunk was made to essentially have a mobile toaster oven/George Foreman grill? How much electric would be needed to either cook while traveling (lasagna during 40 minute drive to family get together) or as a tailgate feature- or simply connecting a crockpot ( with a “holder” insert option that keeps food for a holiday party hot/finishing while traveling. I think there would be a potential for this especially for beaching it or quick food cook while parked at a sports stadium. No packing propane and grill. Literally turn on the frunk “broiler”, toss on the burgers in a travel/foil tray and let the hot electric coils cook your food. If your less than 40-50 miles from the event would there be enough juice to create something like this ?

I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 which has what they call "vehicle to load" or V2L capabilities. I have an electric BBQ that I run off the car using a standard 120V plug. It doesn't use that much out of the traction battery and is definitely a feature Scout should put into their vehicles. Makes tailgating cookouts and stuff super convenient.

The best use case was when we lost power at my house for a week after a storm. I used the 120V outlet of the car to run our lights, fridges and wifi for a full week. The car was "off and locked" the entire week and kept everything we needed in the house running. It sat in the driveway in silence with no fumes and no need to top up gas every 8 hours like would be the case with a standard gasoline generator. The whole week used only 10% of the vehicle's battery too so I could have gone for several weeks with the random amount of charge I happened to have in the car when the storm hit.

V2L is definitely a must have feature for a vehicle like this!

 

[Chaparral]

I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 which has what they call "vehicle to load" or V2L capabilities. I have an electric BBQ that I run off the car using a standard 120V plug. It doesn't use that much out of the traction battery and is definitely a feature Scout should put into their vehicles. Makes tailgating cookouts and stuff super convenient.

The best use case was when we lost power at my house for a week after a storm. I used the 120V outlet of the car to run our lights, fridges and wifi for a full week. The car was "off and locked" the entire week and kept everything we needed in the house running. It sat in the driveway in silence with no fumes and no need to top up gas every 8 hours like would be the case with a standard gasoline generator. The whole week used only 10% of the vehicle's battery too so I could have gone for several weeks with the random amount of charge I happened to have in the car when the storm hit.

V2L is definitely a must have feature for a vehicle like this!

This is nice to have but I would challenge vehicle engineers - why should you have to plug your 110V device in via the car’s charging connector, why not just have a few 110V outlets around the vehicle that can be used while the car is charging or while it is moving?

The inverters I’ve used are very inexpensive, don’t seem to be very high tech and deliver a very smooth sine wave and plenty of watts even if the battery is quite small. I’m not an electrical engineer but I would think that 110V outlets could be hooked up to a rather simple inverter connected to a 12V (or 24V) battery bank that could be kept charged by the high voltage traction battery via a controller?

I’d like to see at least 3 110V outlets. One in the frunk, one somewhere near the back seats and one accessible from the exterior.

 

[RebelliousPeasant]

This is nice to have but I would challenge vehicle engineers - why should you have to plug your 110V device in via the car’s charging connector, why not just have a few 110V outlets around the vehicle that can be used while the car is charging or while it is moving?

The inverters I’ve used are very inexpensive, don’t seem to be very high tech and deliver a very smooth sine wave and plenty of watts even if the battery is quite small. I’m not an electrical engineer but I would think that 110V outlets could be hooked up to a rather simple inverter connected to a 12V (or 24V) battery bank that could be kept charged by the high voltage traction battery via a controller?

I’d like to see at least 3 110V outlets. One in the frunk, one somewhere near the back seats and one accessible from the exterior.

There's a 110V outlet inside the car as well but the outdoor plug was more convenient and is weather proof. It's also accessible even when the car is locked but there's no technical reason there couldn't be a plug somewhere on the side of the vehicle or even under the charge door. EV's already have an AC to DC inverter (or rectifier?) for the vehicle charging so all Hyundai did was make theirs work in reverse as well so no extra equipment was required. It's the same piece of equipment that's used to charge the vehicle which is why you can use an adapter on the charge port. Dedicated outlets are certainly a good thing though, just more conveniently located than under the rear seats (like in the Ioniq 5).

 

[JohnBills]

There's a 110V outlet inside the car as well but the outdoor plug was more convenient and is weather proof. It's also accessible even when the car is locked but there's no technical reason there couldn't be a plug somewhere on the side of the vehicle or even under the charge door. EV's already have an AC to DC inverter (or rectifier?) for the vehicle charging so all Hyundai did was make theirs work in reverse as well so no extra equipment was required. It's the same piece of equipment that's used to charge the vehicle which is why you can use an adapter on the charge port. Dedicated outlets are certainly a good thing though, just more conveniently located than under the rear seats (like in the Ioniq 5).

V2X tech is the one of the great differentiators from ICE vehicles, I believe. I have a Genesis GV60 and Chevy Bolt EUV. The Bolt sits in the garage 90% of the time and I lament that its 65kWh battery just sits there. I'd love it if it could store power from my solar panels and then power my home during peak hours and night and power outages through the L2 charger. The Lightning can do this but I've heard getting your house wired for it is expensive. But vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid would be amazing features that I think would appeal to the hard-working Scout fans.

 

[J Alynn]

I’d like to see a kitchen add-on for those that would use it. Personally, I’ wouldn’t opt for it.

When we camp I cook over an open fire. I’m often in places where there are bear and no food can be left in the vehicle, it all has to go in the bear locker. Even the slightest hint of food will attract bears to the vehicle so I’d rather not have any kitchen equipment built into the SUV. If I could add one appliance to the vehicle it might be an ice-maker. Replenishing ice in your cooler when you’re in a remote area can be a problem, a cold cooler is a necessity and ice in your drinks at a campsite is a very welcome luxury in the summer. I don’t expect Scout to offer an ice-maker option but I do expect a couple of power outlets.

Ice maker is a cool idea. At a minimum a basic refrigeration system. Also was thinking that teaming with Yeti for a frunk cooler would be awesome and a way to tie in another great manufacturer-make it shaped to fit the frunk but be removable (with carry handles or wheels/extension handle) and offer the exterior colors to match the Scouts

 

[Chaparral]

Ice maker is a cool idea. At a minimum a basic refrigeration system. Also was thinking that teaming with Yeti for a frunk cooler would be awesome and a way to tie in another great manufacturer-make it shaped to fit the frunk but be removable (with carry handles or wheels/extension handle) and offer the exterior colors to match the Scouts

I’d like to see accessories that make clever use of space. A cooler would be an interesting project. I’d be open to an electric cooler that can be charged by the vehicle. Perhaps it could have a built in battery to extend its use up to a few days when it has to be moved away from the vehicle.

People are very particular when it comes to the things they like to use to prepare food. If Scout did offer some accessories it would be wise to partner with other companies as you suggest.

Tesla have a Cyber Truck marketing image that shows a camping setup with both a tent and kitchen on the back of the truck. I personally think this is an terrible way to set up camp. For various reasons, I would not want my camp kitchen so close to my sleeping space. In many situations I wouldn’t want my tent or my kitchen attached to the vehicle at all. For example, an electric stove that plugs into the vehicle would be great for tailgating but what about the next weekend when there is a group event at a local park and the cooking area is 1/4 mile away from the truck?

I’d like to see lots of accessories that provide clever ways to stow gear and carry equipment both inside and outside of the vehicle.

 

[JohnBills]

I’d like to see accessories that make clever use of space. A cooler would be an interesting project. I’d be open to an electric cooler that can be charged by the vehicle. Perhaps it could have a built in battery to extend its use up to a few days when it has to be moved away from the vehicle.

People are very particular when it comes to the things they like to use to prepare food. If Scout did offer some accessories it would be wise to partner with other companies as you suggest.

Tesla have a Cyber Truck marketing image that shows a camping setup with both a tent and kitchen on the back of the truck. I personally think this is an terrible way to set up camp. For various reasons, I would not want my camp kitchen so close to my sleeping space. In many situations I wouldn’t want my tent or my kitchen attached to the vehicle at all. For example, an electric stove that plugs into the vehicle would be great for tailgating but what about the next weekend when there is a group event at a local park and the cooking area is 1/4 mile away from the truck?

I’d like to see lots of accessories that provide clever ways to stow gear and carry equipment both inside and outside of the vehicle.

I've had a similar thought about Rivian's Camp Kitchen (which I think has been canceled now). The spot I grew up camping doesn't have a level road and barely enough room for parking. Then it's about a 50-yard walk to the campsite. If my kitchen is attached to my vehicle I'm going to need a level spot right next to the campsite. That only happens some of the time.

 

[Harris005]

Interesting video. It was intriguing to hear it has been tested and found to increase range by 10% at least.
View attachment 957

I also picked up on his comparison he made with a stream of water slightly hitting his hand vs his hand being perpendicular to the stream of water causing a lot of drag. It made me wonder if the squirrel cage blades couldnt protrude slightly past the surface of a wind tunnel (or surface of the vehicle) creating minimum drag with the fan itself.

Throwing spaghetti at the wall here, but saw this today and found the built in wind funnels on the front interesting.

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1) could this help with Scouts square design?
2) could this be used to help with the loss of range with the top down, by making the open cabin more aerodynamic?
3) if the squirrel cage blades were to protrude a 1/4" out of the bottom of the wind funnels (reducing fan drag), could the gain of body aerodynamics created by the wind tunnel counter act the loss of drag the fans create....making the output of the generators a valid source to charge the batteries at highway speeds? Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know..."No!"........again, "What if"

 

[absentEE]

Interesting video. It was intriguing to hear it has been tested and found to increase range by 10% at least.
View attachment 957

I also picked up on his comparison he made with a stream of water slightly hitting his hand vs his hand being perpendicular to the stream of water causing a lot of drag. It made me wonder if the squirrel cage blades couldnt protrude slightly past the surface of a wind tunnel (or surface of the vehicle) creating minimum drag with the fan itself.

Prior to that video series being made had always thought about it, like you, with a centrifugal fan setup; so would be interesting to see modeling/experimentation and cost-benefit analysis of that type as well.

 

[Harris005]

Hesitating to throw this one out there, because I'm even thinking to myself "good or bad idea ".

......but "What If" there was a way to have both street tires and off road tires without having to change them out? What got me thinking about this was all the previous post stating that EV's typically have special tires that aid in extending the range of the vehicle. At the same time, most everyone on here is very interested in the new Scouts offroad capabilities, and the aggressive tires needed for this will likely not be range friendly. Could a tire designed for maximum Scout range maybe include grooves that run perpendicular to the direction of travel, allowing something similar to snow chains to seat into them (helping to hold them in place). The thought would be a system made up more of a cable web that could be sinched down tight to the tire. Attached to that cable web is a more aggressive tread pattern to aid in traction. Possibly a wheel design that allows solid connection points for traction chains - a special beadlocker maybe??

Pro's

• 99% of the time aggressive tires not needed, should help with range for everyday travel
• Reduced highway noise
• When not in use "traction cables" are put in Scout logo zip up bag and stored in special compartment within frunk.
• Should help reduce tearing up everyday use tires.
• Might be cheaper to replace traction chains when worn out, rather than expensive tires.

Con's

• Like the looks of aggressive tires on the Scout all the time - would hate to have boring looking street tires!
• Failure of cable web, but same could be said with a tire failure.
• Time involved installing/uninstalling them upon reaching your offroad destination.
• Muddy conditions would be messy when removing before hitting the road.
• Deflating tires for added traction would make it hard to keep a snug fit with traction cables.
• Upfront efforts needed to coordinate between tire, wheel, and traction cable manufactures to create a working system.

 

[J Alynn]

Hesitating to throw this one out there, because I'm even thinking to myself "good or bad idea ".

......but "What If" there was a way to have both street tires and off road tires without having to change them out? What got me thinking about this was all the previous post stating that EV's typically have special tires that aid in extending the range of the vehicle. At the same time, most everyone on here is very interested in the new Scouts offroad capabilities, and the aggressive tires needed for this will likely not be range friendly. Could a tire designed for maximum Scout range maybe include grooves that run perpendicular to the direction of travel, allowing something simular to snow chains to seat into them (helping to hold them in place). The thought would be a system made up more of a cable web that could be sinched down tight to the tire. Attached to that cable web is a more aggressive tread pattern to aid in traction. Possibly a wheel design that allows solid connection points for traction chains??

Pro's

• 99% of the time aggressive tires not needed, should help with range for everyday travel
• Reduced highway noise
• When not in use "traction cables" are put in Scout logo zip up bag and stored in special compartment within frunk.
• Should help reduce tearing up everyday use tires.
• Might be cheaper to replace traction chains when worn out, rather than expensive tires.

Con's

• Like the looks of aggressive tires on the Scout all the time - would hate to have boring looking street tires!
• Failure of cable web, but same could be said with a tire failure.
• Time involved installing/uninstalling them upon reaching your offroad destination.
• Muddy conditions would be messy when removing before hitting the road.
• Deflating tires for added traction would make it hard to keep a snug fit with traction cables.
• Upfront efforts needed to corrdinate between tire, wheel, and traction cable manufactures to create a working system.

I created the thread for just this purpose. Conceptually it’s a great idea. Airing down would definitely be a hurdle to overcome but I love the thinking. A lot of new tire concepts out there so who knows?