VW America CEO Scott Keogh to lead revival of electric Scout

Volkswagen announced Tuesday that Scott Keogh will step down as Volkswagen representative for North America to lead the new Scout brand.

Keogh, who is also head of the Volkswagen Group in North America, will also leave that post. He will be replaced by Pablo Di Ci, currently head of VW South America. The change in roles will take effect on September 1.

The Scout's name comes from the International Harvester Scout manufactured between 1961 and 1980, the rights to which belong to the VW Group through ownership of Navistar, which was established from International Harvester in the 1980s.

In May, VW announced the creation of a new Scout brand as an independent company offering electric off-roaders. The pickup truck and SUV are already set for launch around 2026 and are expected to feature a retro design inspired by the original Scout. The main targets are likely to be the electric versions of the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator currently under development.

According to VW, the Scout will be based on a new platform and will be designed, engineered, and built in the U.S. The company plans to focus on this market, but sales in other markets are also possible. This is part of an overall VW Group plan to sell at least 25 EVs in the U.S. by 2030. [Scott and Pablo] have each played a key role in the rebuilding of our North and South American operations," Herbert Diess, CEO of VW Group, said in a statement. 'In their future positions, they will play a pivotal role in seizing the historic market opportunity in the U.S. and taking our growth strategy in the region to the next level.'