Scout Says 60% Of Buyers Reserve SUV, Forum Data Suggests 80% Choose Range-Extender

It’s been less than a week since the revived Scout brand officially introduced itself and opened reservations, but the company is already touting “extremely positive” feedback for its new Traveler SUV and Terra pickup. Initial data from the company itself shows that the majority of buyers are leaning toward the SUV, while early polling from a dedicated Scout forum suggests that over 80% of those placing reservations are opting for the optional ‘Harvester’ range-extender powertrain.

The VW-backed brand unveiled the Traveler and Terra to much fanfare, instantly opening the floodgates for reservations. We reached out to Scout for preliminary data on the breakdown between model reservations, and the company told Carscoops that roughly two-thirds of buyers have chosen the Traveler SUV, while the remaining third are snapping up the Terra pickup.

Scout declined to provide specific numbers—whether for total reservations or the split between the standard EV and the range-extender model—but the breakdown between body styles offers an early glimpse into customer preferences.

Read: These Are The New Scout Terra Truck And Traveler SUV

“Consumer response to the reveal of the Scout Traveler SUV and Scout Terra truck is extremely positive, validating what we learned from the Scout community and several consumer product clinics at which we tested various product concepts,” a Scout spokesperson told us. “This has resulted in a high volume of reservations that has surpassed internal expectations.” 

“Presently, two-thirds of reservations are for the Scout Traveler SUV and one-third are for the Scout Terra truck. The Harvester range-extender, connection-focused features like the bench seat, and a return to tactility and utility are resonating with consumers, and we’re seeing that enthusiasm reflected in reservation counts.”

In the lead-up to the unveiling of the Traveler and Terra concepts, the duo were only expected to be offered with battery-electric powertrains. However, Scout caught some people off guard by offering an EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) variant alongside the all-electric version. The EREV model features a small gasoline engine acting as a generator to recharge the battery, promising up to 500 miles (805 km) of range—a more compelling option for drivers who aren’t quite ready to commit to full-electric just yet.

And it seems this decision might be paying off. While Scout hasn’t released official reservation numbers for the EREV, administrators from the Scout EV Forum have compiled data from over 670 members who’ve placed orders. They found that over 80% of these early adopters are choosing the EREV over the fully electric BEV. The forum data also reveals that 45.9% of those reserving a Scout already own an EV, while 54.1% are newcomers to the electric vehicle world. For what it’s worth, the breakdown between SUV (58.2%), truck (34.2%), and both models (7.7%) aligns closely with Scout’s official data.

Of course, since this data is pulled from a small sample of one enthusiast forum, the proportion of EREV models out of total reservations may vary, and unless Scout itself announces official numbers, we won’t know precisely how popular the EREV is proving to be. Nevertheless, it seems safe to say that Scout’s decision to offer the range-extender was a good idea.