South Carolina offers $1.3B to new Scout electric SUV maker
South Carolina’s governor says he is going to ask lawmakers to approve nearly $1.3 billion to bring to the state a new electric vehicle plant
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's governor said Monday he is going to ask lawmakers to approve nearly $1.3 billion to bring to the state a new electric vehicle plant by a Volkswagen Group-backed group trying to revive a brand that was a 1960s forerunner to today's SUVs.
Scout Motors Inc. and South Carolina officials announced plans to start building new Scout vehicles, powered this time by electricity, for the first time since 1980. They hope to hire 4,000 workers for its $2 billion plant.
Scout is banking on nostalgia combined with an expected boom in electric vehicles. International Harvester made gas-powered Scout vehicles in the 1960s and 1970s. Their shape and features continue to influence modern SUVs, and Scouts have had a niche fanbase of collectors ever since.
In the competitive fight to land electric vehicle plants, South Carolina is trying to join its neighbors providing billions of dollars in taxpayer help.
