After the ‘hippie’ bus and the Beetle, VW has its eyes on America once again

Herbert Diess, the CEO of Volkswagen, said that the decision to revive the Scout brand in the US represents an opportunity for the German auto giant to become much more American.

Last Wednesday, VW announced plans to re-launch the Scout as a fully-electric pick-up and rugged SUV with prototypes due to be revealed in 2023 and production planned to begin in 2026.

The company said that the vehicles would be designed, engineered, and manufactured in the U.S. for American customers.

The United States is the biggest growth opportunity, according to Diess.

He explained that the automaker was targeting the fiercely competitive American market.

We have 4% market share in the country, and we want to get up to 10% by the end of the decade.

The firm was profitable and making good progress with the electric cars.

The fully electric ID Buzz is inspired by the T1 Microbus. The American version of the ID Buzz will go on sale in four years.

This image, from 1970, shows people driving a version of the Volkswagen Microbus at a rock festival in Oregon.

VW hopes that the introduction of the Scout and ID Buzz will continue its tradition of introducing innovative designs to the U.S. market. The Microbus and various versions of the Beetle have been included over the years.

The Scout's history goes back to the 1960s, when International Harvester started development. The Traton Group is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.

The Scout ceased production in 1980, but Volkswagen decided to re-launch it, and comments by Herbert Diess give some clues to its strategy going forward.

He said that if they want to become relevant in America, they have to look at the other segments.

Scout is a beloved brand in the United States. It's a good chance for us to become more American.

He wasn't sure if the Scout pickup would be for the U.S. market.

The product will be designed for the American environment. Will it be sold outside? Maybe, later to be decided.

VW plans to set up a separate company this year to design, engineer and manufacture Scout pick-ups and SUVs for the US market.

Volkswagen's focus on electric vehicles is a world away from the Dieselgate scandal that happened in the 2010s. It is in direct competition with long-established automakers like GM and Ford, as well as relative newcomers such asTesla, because of its electrification plans.

The company's overall prospects in the U.S. going forward were bullish.

He said that ID 4 production will start in the US in August.

We have programs to increase their market share and we will see more electric products being produced in America.