COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA (AP) – A Volkswagen Group-backed automotive company announced plans this week to open a USD2 billion electric truck and SUV manufacturing plant just outside of Columbia, South Carolina.
Scout Motors Inc and South Carolina officials said on Friday that the company would be establishing its first manufacturing plant in Blythewood at an industrial site.
At full capacity, more than 200,000 vehicles may be produced annually at the facility, which is expected to create 4,000 or more permanent jobs, Governor Henry McMaster’s office said in a news release.
Scout Motors, an independent company headquartered in Virginia and backed by Volkswagen, plans to produce all-electric trucks and SUVs in the style of the Scout vehicles produced by International Harvester between 1960 and 1980.
“Scout Motors will provide thousands of South Carolinians with previously unimagined opportunities and prosperity for generations to come,” McMaster said in a statement. “The Palmetto State, with its rich history, superior people, and sterling automotive manufacturing reputation, is the perfect place to re-start this iconic American brand.”
Vehicle production is targeted to begin by the end of 2026, according to the news release.
The Scout deal is expected to receive county-level tax incentives that have already received initial approval, The State reported. It wasn’t immediately clear what state-level incentives the project may have been offered, according to the newspaper.
