Scout Motors, an automotive manufacturer developing state-of-the-art vehicles that resurrect a storied U.S. car brand, has chosen Charlotte, North Carolina, as the location for its U.S. headquarters, company officials stated in a press release. The automaker will invest $206 million in the site and create 1,200 jobs for the Charlotte region.
Scout Motors says that it plans to fill these jobs over the next five years and will pay average annual wages of $172,000, nearly double the average annual wage in Mecklenburg County. The company will locate its headquarters within Commonwealth, a mixed-use development in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood.
“Scout Motors is revitalizing an iconic American brand, creating high-quality jobs, and building the next great automotive company right here in the Carolinas,” said North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. “Our business-friendly climate, our top-tier research universities and community colleges, our leadership in the clean energy economy, our quality of life, and above all, our people make companies want to call North Carolina home.”
Scout Motors – A Little History
A subsidiary of Volkswagen, Scout Motors is reviving the once-popular brand of Scout vehicles, which gained fame in the 1960s and ‘70s for their rugged, off-roading reputation. At that time, the vehicles were manufactured by International Harvester, noted the release.
Volkswagen acquired the Scout trademark in 2021, and the next year announced plans to revive the brand through the founding of Scout Motors. The company, whose lineup includes electric and hybrid-powered vehicles, will construct its vehicles at a manufacturing plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, with initial production slated for 2027.
“Charlotte is the ideal home for Scout Motors—a place as dynamic as our people and brand, where heritage and pride meet progress and innovation,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Scout Motors. “With a thriving talent pool, world-class universities and a deserved reputation as a launchpad for bold ideas, Charlotte offers the momentum we need to scale quickly and sustainably. We’ll build a headquarters that reflects our culture, empowers our teams and connects us to a region that’s fast becoming a national hub for mobility and manufacturing.”
“We’re pleased to welcome an innovative company like Scout Motors to North Carolina,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “Our automotive sector is thriving and rapidly expanding, and Scout Motors will only accelerate our state’s reputation as an automotive hub.”