Report: Foxconn Could Work With VW to Bring Scout Back
Foxconn, the company known for building iPhones (and putting workers through grueling conditions), could help Volkswagen bring Scout back to the States.
Automotive News reports that Foxconn, a Taiwanese company, is in talks to contract with VW to build the Scout. Foxconn already builds pickup trucks for Lordstown Motors, after buying out the former General Motors plant in Ohio in 2019.
Foxconn has also shown off two EV prototypes as it shows its ambitions to become an automaker.
The report says Foxconn isn't the only potential dance partner for Volkswagen -- Austrian supplier Magna Steyr, a subsidiary of Canadian conglomerate Magna International, has been mulling opening a plant in the U.S. It could pair with VW to build Scouts at such a facility.
VW, for its part, is being mum.
"We are very pleased with the progress the Scout team is making and with the enthusiasm it's already generating among current fans and future customers," a VW spokesman said.
We'd be remiss if we didn't note that Foxconn is in the news this week due to worker protests over delayed payment of bonuses, as well as complaints that workers were forced to bunk with those who were infected with COVID-19.
The company denied such reports: "Regarding any violence, the company will continue to communicate with employees and the government to prevent similar incidents from happening again," Foxconn told CNBC.
Volkswagen might decide to avoid pairing with such a controversial company to avoid bad press.
It's also possible that other OEMs could step in to help VW get Scout launched in the States -- and given its size, we can't rule out Volkswagen Auto Group tapping one of its existing plants.
[Image: Volkswagen/Scout]
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Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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- Daniel J I had read an article several years ago that one of the issues that workers were complaining about with this plant is that 1/3 of the workforce were temporary workers. They didn't have the same benefits as the other 2/3 of the employees. Will this improve this situation or make it worse? Do temporary workers get a vote?I honestly don't care as long as it is not a requirement to work at the plant.
- Kosmo Tragic. Where in the name of all that is holy did anybody get the idea that self-driving cars were a good idea? I get the desire for lane-keeping, and use it myself, occasionally, but I don't even like to look across the car at my passenger while driving, let along relinquish complete control.
- Bof65705611 There’s one of these around the corner from me. It still runs…driven daily, in fact. That fact always surprises me.
- Master Baiter I'm skeptical of any project with government strings attached. I've read that the new CHIPS act which is supposed to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. is so loaded with DEI requirements that companies would rather not even bother trying to set up shop here. Cheaper to keep buying from TSMC.
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Always loved the late 70s and very early 80s Scout II and Terras.
This resurrection will be nothing like those.
SINO - Scout in Name Only
I hope the rear seat is larger than the original.