LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, START YOUR VAPORWARE. – Rants

Editor’s Notice: This week, Peter takes on the most recent absurdity in untimely EV vaporware with VW’s new offshoot “Scout Motors” model, which is principally a manner for the corporate to enter the truck and SUV market minus the VW baggage (or so that they suppose). In “On The Desk,” we take one other have a look at the brand new 2025 Audi RS Q8, which Audi calls “probably the most highly effective manufacturing combustion Audi Sport mannequin ever” (though it isn’t a brand new sports activities automotive however an SUV). And our AE Track of the Week is the enduring basic “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles. In “Fumes,” after Peter’s “The Racing Machines” collection he is beginning a brand new collection along with his all-time favourite racing machines – Jim Corridor’s Chaparrals. And in “The Line,” we’ll have F1 outcomes from the Mexican Grand Prix and MotoGP from Thailand.  Onward! -WG 

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Longtime readers of this web site are very conversant in the drill by now. A producer summons the automotive media – or what passes for it nowadays (together with the varied hangers-on, analysts, and fanboys and ladies, and so forth.) – flies them to a location not their very own and regales them about its upcoming Belchfire EV in SUV or truck guise. Not solely will these new autos rewrite the historical past books, however they’re promised to be the best factor since sliced bread, not less than in automotive phrases.

Then the assembled media-types – who run the gamut from credible to barely tolerable – dutifully report what mentioned producer needs them to say. The brand new autos might be new and good and higher than most. They are going to “redefine the market.” They are going to be fast “forces to be reckoned with” of their segments. And, they are going to be eminently profitable – I imply, how might they not be?

I and we have heard this all earlier than. Over and again and again. It’s like we’re on a doom loop of over-promising, and if issues don’t work out, oh nicely, it’s on to the following large factor.

What firm am I speaking about this time? Volkswagen’s new offshoot “Scout Motors” model. Thinly based mostly on the heritage of the way back – and defunct – Worldwide Harvester model, that is VW’s foray into the truck and SUV market minus the luggage that the VW identify brings to those segments, which means it has no credibility, so this can permit it to play within the hottest segments with a clear slate. Not less than that’s the concept.

And Scout Motors operatives mentioned all the appropriate issues once they confirmed the “manufacturing ideas” of the all-electric Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Traveler pickup truck to the media in Nashville. Designed and engineered proper right here in Michigan and slated to be assembled in Columbia, South Carolina, the 2 new merchandise with body-on-frame structure are aimed to hit dealerships at round $60,000.00 with a 350-mile vary for each, and in a big hedge, a range-extending function referred to as “Harvester,” which makes use of ICE help to ship an estimated 500-mile vary, might be accessible.

For sure, I don’t connect the phrase “good” to this market foray by VW only for exhibiting up. Are the brand new merchandise going to be good? Who the hell is aware of? They appear good and boast all the proper accoutrements – not less than on paper – however which means precisely zero at this juncture. I anticipated extra from the journalists and analysts assembled in Nashville to see these merchandise, however then once more, why ought to I? It’s referred to as “rote regurgitation” of the information introduced, and there wasn’t a important perspective available anyplace. It’s disappointing and pathetic.

Again to that 2027 launch date. I get why Scout Motors operatives wished to point out off their dream scrolling, as a result of they’re underneath intense strain to point out one thing, however this actually doesn’t transfer the needle to the substantive zone. In any respect. It simply exhibits that they’re current and accounted for, at greatest. And that simply isn’t sufficient. Particularly when the plan is to promote Scouts on to prospects, chopping the VW sellers out of the loop fully. (As you may think, VW sellers are taking authorized steps to counter that call. Good luck with that, by the way in which.)

I might be shocked if we see Scouts roll out of the assemble facility in 2027, and in the event that they do, it will likely be a handful of autos on December 31, 2027, simply to say they met the goal. Realistically, we’re speaking 2028 right here, and what the market will appear like for EVs then is anybody’s wild-ass guess at this level. This entire factor is only a big “we’ll see,” as we wish to say round right here.

On paper, the Scouts ought to be fairly good. However that’s on paper. That appears to be sufficient for some analysts and journalists – I imply, it was a gradual day in October – but it surely isn’t even remotely near being sufficient for me.

“On paper” sounds so much like glorified vaporware to me. And girls and gents, if that floats your boat, good night time and good luck.

And that’s the Excessive-Octane Reality for this week.

(Scout Motors)

(Scout Motors)

(Scout Motors)