Rivian Won't Make An Extended-range Hybrid, But That's What Basically All Scout's Customers Want

Scout Motors

Scout Motors still doesn't person a azygous paid customer, and it doesn't scheme to build its first motortruck for a while, but there's nary denying nan truth that the 2 concepts it showed disconnected past year looked beautiful darn cool. As it turns out, group emotion nan thought of a rugged, retro-inspired off-roader that besides happens to beryllium electric. And while it will still beryllium astatine slightest a mates much years earlier accumulation Scouts extremity up successful customer hands, nan Terra pickup motortruck and Traveler SUV look poised to position Scout arsenic an incredibly celebrated electrical automaker. Except not really. 

Turns out, very fewer of nan imaginable customers lined up to bargain nan caller Scouts really want nan electric-only version. Instead, InsideEVs reports nan immense mostly of Scout's pre-orders are for nan type that comes pinch a gas-powered scope extender, arguably making Scout much of a hybrid startup that dabbles successful EVs. That isn't speculation aliases insider information, either. It's thing Scout CEO Scott Keogh publically told Bloomberg successful a caller interview. According to Keogh, Scout has astir 130,000 pre-orders, and astir 80% of those are for nan type pinch a scope extender.

Considering really fewer group person reserved a afloat electrical Scout, you mightiness deliberation it's only a matter of clip earlier it offers a gas-only version. But arsenic Keogh told Bloomberg, that astir apt won't happen:

I don't spot it. And look, there's a batch of play now that says nan world was each EV. Now nan world's going to go 100% soul combustion engine. The world is still heading electric. The exertion is there, nan invention is there. We are successful nan early stages. Tech is only getting better; our costs are only going to spell down. And we want to make judge Scout is prepared for nan adjacent 100 years, we're not building a two-year brand."

Rivian

Considering really galore group want a range-extended Scout alternatively of an electric-only one, nan kinds of folks who inquire questions that were already answered successful nan position (that they've already said will beryllium emailed to everyone aft nan meeting) mightiness beryllium wondering erstwhile Rivian plans to present an extended-range EV of its own. Surely, RJ wants to get successful connected those saccharine EREV orders, right? Wrong.

On Rivian's net telephone Tuesday, InsideEVs reports an expert asked CEO RJ Scaringe that nonstop mobility and specifically referenced Keogh's Bloomberg question and reply erstwhile they asked it. Scaringe quickly unopen that thought down, saying, "We're not readying to connection an EREV or, effectively, a bid hybrid, which would impact putting an motor into nan vehicle. So that's not successful our merchandise roadmap, aliases thing that we're astatine each contemplating." 

That shouldn't beryllium surprising, particularly erstwhile you see really overmuch activity it would return to adhd a state motor to nan EVs it's already developed. It's besides important to retrieve that Scout still hasn't started building its EREVs, overmuch little sold any. Oh, and let's besides not hide that nan scheme present is to bent a four-cylinder engine behind nan rear axle. Cynicism whitethorn not beryllium cool, but let's conscionable opportunity I'm highly skeptical that immoderate of these rear-engine Scouts will spell into accumulation successful 2028 aliases moreover earlier 2030. Maybe ever? I'd emotion to beryllium proven wrong, but we've sewage years earlier we'll find out.

From Rivian's perspective, it conscionable doesn't make consciousness to put successful a span exertion that will soon go irrelevant. As Scaringe put it connected nan call, "We judge everything will beryllium electric, everything will beryllium package defined, and everything will person very precocious levels of autonomous capabilities. And truthful we're very focused connected continuing to lead pinch electrification."