There are all kinds of neat details on Scout Motors' coming Traveler SUV and Terra pickup trucks. Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising is that they don't have to be all-electric. Yes, Scout has done something rare among the legions of EV upstarts—it built a hybrid of sorts.
Both Traveler and Terra will have the option of a gas-powered range extender. The system, called Harvester, in a nod to International Harvester that first built the Scout, promises to add 150 miles of range. Scout says the trucks will have "up to" 350 miles of all-electric range, so the range extender will push these trucks past the 500-mile mark. It's an interesting way of addressing concerns over range that many American consumers have with EVs.
The gas engine won't drive the wheels. Instead, it will charge the onboard 800-volt battery. This isn't a new idea—the Chevy Volt introduced the concept of a range-extender hybrid back in 2010, and the BMW i3 had the option of a two-cylinder motorcycle engine that could add a bit of juice to its tiny battery. There's also the coming Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which will use a V-6 to boost range to nearly 700 miles. But no other EV newcomer is doing something like this.
It's a good idea since presumably, the Scout trucks will be heavy, and weight is an enemy of both efficiency and range. There's the weight of the battery pack and the solid rear axle, plus the weight penalty that comes with using traditional body-on-frame construction. Getting 350 miles out of a truck like this would be a feat—though perhaps less so when the Terra and Traveler enter production in 2027—and pushing range beyond 500 miles will broaden the appeal. Especially for the overlanding/adventure set that Scout wants to appeal to.
Of course, many questions remain. We don't know what engine Scout plans to use, and uh, where it will go. Will the Harvester system take up the front trunk? How much will it weigh? How much does it cost?
Still, it's notable, and it'll be interesting to see if customers embrace it. This could just be the thing that sets them over the edge.
