Volkswagen will roll out new Scout-branded EVs in the coming years, and its South Carolina factory is well underway. In addition to the hardware it takes to build thousands of new electric vehicles, the automaker is focused on making the site as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.
Jan Spies, Scout’s chief production officer, will head the efforts. He’s had a long career helping VW get new production facilities off the ground, including its plant in Chattanooga, TN.
Spies told Automotive News, “The biggest change is not paint or a welding spot. The biggest change is, of course, the ecological impact. People will look at us completely different. Neighbors are much more critical than they have been before. That’s good.”
The automaker will employ electric heat in its paint shop, bucking the trend of using a gas pipeline. Energy-efficient heat pumps will provide heating and cooling. Water usage will be closely monitored, and Spies believes VW and Scout’s efforts will become selling points as customers ask questions about automakers’ sustainability.
“At a certain point, people will say, ‘What are the gallons you’re using per car?’ It’s not asked at the moment, but it will go there. We need to support saving water here.” Volkswagen plans a 1,100-acre site that can build 200,000 vehicles annually. The automaker will employ 4,000 people when the factory is up and running, with the first vehicles scheduled to roll off the line in 2026.
Spies’ view is that the early work he and his team are doing to ensure sustainability will help save money down the line. “The good thing is we’re at the starting point where we’re not having something that we’ll have to throw out again. This is the positive part of a new factory,” he said.
[Images: Scout Motors]
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