The Scout electric SUV will debut in 2024 with prices starting at $40,000.

Volkswagen Group's new EV brand, Scout Motors, on Friday confirmed plans to build a $2 billion plant in South Carolina that will begin vehicle production in 2026.

Located about 20 miles from the state capital of Columbia, the plant is projected to produce 200,000 vehicles per year and create at least 4,000 permanent jobs when fully operational.

The first Scout model under VW to be unveiled in 2024 will be a "rugged utility vehicle" or RUV, Scout CEO Scott Keough told TechCrunch in an interview. Keogh, who heads the resurgence of the electric Scout after serving as head of the VW Group in North America, said the utility vehicle will be followed "very soon" by a larger electric pickup truck.

Keogh also said in an interview that the utility vehicle would target a base price in the $40,000 range, with the pickup "a little north of there."

These plans are largely consistent with what VW said when it announced the Scout brand last May. That announcement included plans for an off-road pickup and SUV inspired by the International Harvester Scout, a classic off-roader produced from 1960 to 1981 VW plans to acquire International Harvester's successor in 2020, the Navistar and acquired the rights to the Scout name.

However, that rollout may be delayed slightly; VW initially said that a prototype of the Scout model would be unveiled in 2023, but has been consistent with a 2026 launch date for the SUV. The styling, clearly influenced by the original Scout, is also consistent and does not appear to have changed in the teaser images released with the factory announcement.

VW has stated that the Scout vehicle will ride on a new platform, which will be important in matching it with other electric off-road vehicles like the Rivian R1S, R1T, and the upcoming Jeep Recon. There are rumors that Audi, another VW Group brand, may also launch a rugged SUV, possibly using the Scout platform.