October 28, 2024
NASHVILLE — Scout Motors’ detailed roadmap to sell an electric SUV and pickup straight to American consumers includes experience centers, speedy purchase transactions, stores in key U.S. markets and a flexible nationwide service footprint at launch in 2027.
Scout, which revealed the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup as production-intent concepts here on Oct. 24, is planning to open 25 brand-owned rooftops in the U.S. when production starts at a South Carolina plant in 2027.
The first 25 locations will be in 16 major markets, from New York to Miami and Seattle to San Diego.
The 25 locations will either be Scout Studios, where customers shop and interact with a sales adviser, or Scout Workshops, where service is performed, company officials say.
The Scout-owned facilities will be standalone sites or in retail centers such as malls.
Expansion
Scout plans to grow quickly after launching sales, targeting 57 retail and service sites in year two, including two in Canada.
Beyond that second year, Scout plans to add 10 rooftops annually until it reaches 100 in 2032. Ninety-three locations will be in the U.S. while seven will be in Canada, Thacker said.
“Those rooftops will put us within 200 miles of 85 percent or more of projected Scout owners,” Thacker said.
Thacker said the workshops will be the hub of its network and signaled Scout Motors is investing significantly in service operations.
Scout plans to have 1,300 service bays staffed by 1,400 technicians by 2032. A quarter of service demand will be handled by mobile service units, Thacker estimated.
Around 80 percent of each workshop’s square footage will be dedicated to service and work stalls. The remaining space will be customer-facing zones with a lounge-like amenities.
For Scout owners who live within 45 minutes of a workshop, the brand anticipates those customers will go there for service and repairs.
For more-remote customers within 200 miles of a workshop, Scout will rely on mobile service units. Scout may also create a list of certified service partners, Thacker said.
For customers that live beyond 200 miles of a workshop, Scout plans to have traveling mobile technicians, but Thacker expects those instances to be rare.
Warranty
Thacker said each Scout vehicle will come with a four-year, 48,000-mile comprehensive warranty; a seven-year, 100,000-mile electric drivetrain warranty and an eight-year, 100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty.
Scout also intends to offer extended warranties.
The brand plans to open Scout Experience Centers, and the first one will open at the company’s plant in Blythewood, S.C. It is being created as the front door of the plant, Thacker said, as well as a place for customers to take delivery, a starting point for factory tours and an off-road driving experience.
“We want this to be a community hub,” Thacker said.
I see no problem with offering both. Men tend to carry wallets although some women also carry a slim wallet instead of a purse and might like a card more. I, a purse-haver, would want a key fob more than the other options given to me. I’d want it as a failsafe.
. For those reasons, I’m skeptical.
