South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday signed laws approving $1.29 billion in point out incentives for Volkswagen’s off-road brand Scout Motors to create a $2 billion producing plant for trucks and SUVs.
The venture could also obtain up to $180 million in career advancement tax credits based mostly on choosing, stated South Carolina Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey.
In May possibly, VW mentioned it would reintroduce the Scout off-street brand name in the United States, featuring new electric powered pickup and activity-utility motor vehicles. Scout said it hopes to finally produce 4,000 careers and make 200,000 Scout cars every year.
Groundbreaking is planned for mid-2023 and production is projected to get started by the finish of 2026.
“We looked at 74 sites in a dozen states, about,” Scout CEO Scott Keogh explained to reporters. “The website was all set, the governor himself put collectively an EV council … to make absolutely sure his point out was prepared.”
Keogh mentioned Scout would like to “act like a startup, be nimble and just take edge of this minute.” Scout, an unbiased U.S. corporation owned by Volkswagen Team, has mentioned it is analyzing the opportunity for outside the house expenditure but has built no bulletins.
Volkswagen has moved away from vehicles in the United States. SUVs now account for about 80% of U.S. gross sales of the group’s VW and Audi brands. VW previous marketed a pickup in the United States in the early 1980s.
Scout and Travelall autos manufactured by International Harvester have been forerunners to the common SUVs from Detroit’s A few automakers this kind of as the Ford Bronco and Basic Motors Co’s Chevrolet Suburban.
Volkswagen initial disclosed it was looking at employing the Scout name late in 2021. The automaker’s Traton business enterprise obtained U.S. truck maker Navistar in 2020, which owns the identify.
Monday’s party was the latest significant auto announcement for South Carolina, residence to BMW’s U.S. operations and its biggest plant by volume. The point out also has above 500 automotive-linked corporations and 75,000 automotive sector staff members.
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