When Scout Motors finally uncovered its electric Traveler SUV and Terra pickup, one of the more interesting reveals was their range extender option. Range extenders haven’t been in vogue for some time, falling out of favor after cars like the BMW i3 and Chevrolet Volt. Customers didn’t much like those coarse, gravelly motors ruining the otherwise quiet EV experience, especially since they were only there to generate some extra electricity for the battery. Why not just add more batteries instead? Well, Scout’s offering is said to be better, using a small Volkswagen Group engine so far behind the passengers that they won’t even notice it while it’s running.
At CES 2025, Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh said that a range extender wasn’t originally in the plans, according to Edmunds. However, Scout not only wants its EVs to be capable of venturing far off the beaten path, but to do so where charging infrastructure is lacking. “We’ve always positioned Scout as a brand that wants to be a 50-state brand, sold everywhere,” said Keogh.
The specific engine Scout will use for range extender duty is still under wraps. However, since Scout is under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, the engine will likely come from a parts bin somewhere in Wolfsburg. The smallest Volkswagen engine offered in the United States is the 1.5-liter TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Jetta and Taos. But since the engine only has to act as an electricity generator for the battery, Scout might be able to get away with using one of VW’s smaller-displacement Euro-market engines.
If you’ve ever driven a BMW i3, you’d know that range extenders aren’t always the most enjoyable things to use. When that little Bavarian scooter engine kicks on, it sounds and feels like there’s a lawnmower in the trunk. The i3 also loses a ton of power while relying on the gas engine for electro-juice. But Ryan Decker, head of strategy at Scout, says there’s nothing to worry about in their implementation. Since the Scout is body-on-frame, with a traditional truck-style ladder frame, there’s plenty of room in the back of the chassis to hide the little range extender away.
“It’s so far away you don’t hear it, you don’t feel it, so you still get the sensation of driving a quiet, small electric vehicle,” said Decker.
Keogh also squashed any fears that either Scout model would lose power, off-roading ability, or towing capacity when the gas engine kicks on. “You still have 100% gradability, you still have all the ground clearance, you still have a frunk, you still have all of the things.”
Having a range extender option might make Scout a more intriguing offering than the other electric SUVs and trucks, come 2027. Range anxiety is the biggest hurdle for off-road enthusiasts to clear when it comes to electric vehicles. What happens when you run out of juice in the middle of nowhere? But having the gas range extender to rely on as an emergency backup should provide some peace of mind for those customers. And, naturally, Scout will sell you a jerry can to go with it.
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