Scout Motors Inc., Tysons Corner, VA, is establishing its first manufacturing plant near Columbia, SC, where it will build next-generation trucks and SUVs. According to the company press release, the $2-billion investment has the potential to create 4,000 or more permanent jobs. At full capacity, more than 200,000 Scout vehicles may be produced annually at the facility.
The release said South Carolina already has more than 500-plus automotive-related companies and 75,000 automotive industry employees, and that the state is No. 1 in the U.S. for export sales of both completed passenger vehicles and tires. In Oct. 2022, Governor Henry Mc Master issued an executive order that prioritized building EV infrastructure, preparing the state workforce for advanced manufacturing jobs, and strategically organizing EV planning under a centralized state working group.
The site for the Scout EV factory spans approximately 1,600 acres, with the plant itself occupying 1,100 less than 20 miles north of Columbia. The press release said this proximity gives Scout access to major highways, ports of Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA, and universities focused on automotive engineering. Groundbreaking is planned for mid-2023 and production is projected to begin by the end of 2026.
International Harvester produced Scout utility vehicles from 1960 to 1980.