The revived Scout car brand, owned by Volkswagen, will build electric cars that owners can repair themselves, says its director.
If electric cars are the future, many drivers will miss one thing in particular. Yes, besides the sound of the engine. Namely, being able to repair the cars themselves. The reborn Scout now has a solution for that.
Scout Motors wants to get drivers into the swing of things with its new electric cars Traveler and Terra. The brand promises that owners will be able to make repairs and replace parts themselves, just like they do with older diesel and gasoline cars.
Scout Motors emphasizes in a new interview that customers "must have access to repairs and information."
"Over 80 percent of the repairs needed can be done on the go," says Ryan Decker, director of strategy at Scout Motors.
"That means in the customer's driveway or literally on the road. We want these cars to be vehicles that customers can touch and take care of (themselves)."
The inspiration for that decision comes from the original Scout models, which were known for their robustness and simplicity.
"It has to last a long time, it has to be durable. When something breaks, you have to be able to fix it," says Decker.
Electric cars are often complex and have a wide range of closed systems that only the factories and their own workshops have access to. But Scout Motors wants to do away with that.
"Maybe things aren't glued. They're screwed in. Things should be easier to repair yourself," Decker explains.
Scout Motors understands that their customers want to be able to customize their cars.
"Customers want to touch the cars. They want to repair them. They want to be able to take off the bumper (themselves)," says the director.
To make sure it doesn't just remain a matter of talk, Scout will, according to the brand, create more user-friendly service manuals and repair guides for the cars. Things that should be accessible to everyone.
"What is a modern electric car? It's like a completely black box that you can't do anything with," says Decker.
However, Scout Traveler and Terra are not just around the corner. Not even in the US, because sales start first. In fact, it will be another two years before the first models are ready.
