It was a common style across the Atlantic, and Scout Motors, a spinoff of the Volkswagen Group, unveiled two EVs Thursday to hopefully hook American customers with a modern-meets-rugged styling that downplays digital and plays up mechanical.

The catch? The company will also offer variants to its all-electric Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra Truck that will come equipped with a built-in gas-powered generator using a system called Harvester — a nod to the brand's roots with the International Harvester Scout from the 1960s.

If this sounds familiar -- electric meets gas generator -- it should. Stellantis brand Ram unveiled last year the Ramcharger, a battery electric truck, the company says is equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine and on-board 130 kilowatt generator that, combined, promise a targeted range of 690 miles.

The Scout EVs — a truck and an SUV  — won't arrive until 2027. The new brand that launched two years ago was to begin producing the vehicles in 2026. The vehicles, when they finally enter production will ride on a body-on-frame chassis with a solid rear axle, front and rear mechanical lockers, as well as a powertrain delivering 1,000 pound-feet of torque and a zero to 60 mph acceleration of 3.5 seconds in some trims). Those are the specifics of exactly what Scout wants to be remembered for the buyer: new tech-forward EVs with off-road and on-road performance with a nostalgia trip and memories of real buttons and switches. And while indeed, yes, there are buttons inside the vehicle, there's a central touchscreen as well.

Scout Motors president and CEO Scott Keogh, who launched the reveal, seemed almost painfully aware of the hurdles in front of this increasingly hot auto sector, let alone this new brand by that name, which pays homage to the classic International Harvester Scout that hit the roads back in the early 1960s.

"These, without a doubt, are complex times," he said in an event that was streamed live. "Industries are facing labor tensions, unease about the shift to EVS, infrastructure, geopolitical uncertainty, inflation, supply chains, the need to get software done right, digital trust, and, of course, return on investment."

According to the company, the all-electric models will have up to 350 miles of range. The EVs will also get Tesla's North American Charging Standard. However, in a twist that suggests Scout wants to hedge its bets, the company will also offer extended range variants with over 500 miles of range through a built-in gas-powered generator.

Keogh was the first to point out that the gas-powered generator version-called Harvester-is "still a Scout.".

All of that great ability, all that capability, all that recognition, nothing goes away when you get the range extender," he said, adding that it is still an EV. "You still have the frunk, you still have all the packaging, and the battery will drive both of the axles, of course, the engine will power the battery. So this gives you a proper EV experience with, of course, the generator.

He further declares that with this model, the Harvester future-proofs the brand, critical in these times.

Regardless of the powertrain, Scout says the EV platform will offer up to 35-inch tires, more than one foot of ground clearance and nearly 3 feet of water fording capability, a front sway bar disconnect, front and rear mechanical lockers, competitive approach and departure angles, and robust suspension options-all a big part of that rugged messaging Scout hopes will appeal to customers.

The company also stated that the Terra truck will be able to tow over 10,000 pounds and the Traveler SUV to handle 7,000 pounds. No word on how that will affect the vehicles' range.

The guts of each of these EVs will sport what Scout describes as a modern zonal architecture, which of course enables over-the-air software updates and remote diagnostics. Scout's parent company VW has struggled to deliver just this sort of performance in its vehicles-so far, despite creating a subsidiary with more than 6,000 people called Cariad that is dedicated exclusively to that work.

Volkswagen Group, recently, agreed to invest $1 billion into Rivian, an electric vehicle startup, in a wide-ranging software development deal that might extend up to as much as $5 billion. It could lend a software hand, too, to Scout, jointly besides this.

Inside, it remains new-meets-old. The touchscreen takes center stage, but toggles and knobs come right below to take charge of air-conditioning and heating. There's even a compass above the rearview mirror. One thing that tacks on to the International Harvester heritage is the possibility of ditching the multifunctional console for a front row bench seat.

Americans have not forgotten how to do things like open a car door, like turn a knob, like pull a switch, so I promise you all sorts of functionality to let Americans stay functional and keep doing things themselves, " Keogh said in a slight dig at numerous modern EVs.

Pricing

The Scout Traveler and Terra will have an entry price less than $60,000. Scout said those prices could be as low as $50,000 with incentives available. That depends on the availability of incentives laid out in the Inflation Reduction Act. Scout will catch those incentives because it will be able to design the vehicles in Michigan and build them at a brand-new $2 billion factory capable of producing 200,000 EVs a year in South Carolina.
Scout is also taking the fairly controversial step of selling its EVs directly to consumers-avoiding a VW dealership used sales channel. The company said that potential customers can make a reservation to order a Scout Traveler SUV or Scout Terra truck for a refundable $100.