Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO is Appointed to Lead the Automaker's New Electric Off-Road Truck Division ‘Scout'

author: FutureCar Staff    

Scott Keogh, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America since Nov 2018, has been appointed to lead VW's new electric truck brand Scout.

Volkswagen has made some new executive appointments as the automaker prepares to launch its new electric truck brand Scout, which is poised to compete with Rivian in the electric adventure vehicle space.   

Scott Keogh, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America since Nov 2018, has been appointed as the President and CEO of Scout, an independent company that is being established in the U.S. Scout will launch fully electric pick-ups and rugged off-road SUV type vehicles in the U.S. market.

Keogh will turn over his responsibilities for Volkswagen Group of America operations to senior management of Volkswagen Group of America in order to focus solely on the development of the Scout brand. 

Taking over Keogh's former role will be Pablo Di Si, current Executive Chairman of Volkswagen South American Region. Di Si was appointed to serve as President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, and CEO of Volkswagen North American Region.

Di Si will officially begin his new role of President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, and CEO of Volkswagen North American Region, on Sept 1, 2022. 

His successor to lead Volkswagen South America will be announced in the near future.

VW said the new appointments will accelerate the automaker's growth strategy in the U.S., which will eventually include a portfolio of more than 25 all-electric models by 2030.

"Scott and Pablo have played key roles in turning around the businesses in North America and South America, respectively," said Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group. "In their future positions, they will be pivotal in seizing the historic market opportunities in the U.S., taking our growth strategy in the region to the next level."

Keogh is an automotive industry veteran. He began his career in 1995 as general manager of marketing communications for Mercedes-Benz USA. Keogh then joined the Volkswagen Group as Chief Marketing Officer at Audi of America in 2006.

In 2012, Koegh was appointed the role of President and CEO at Audi of America before taking over as CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. 

Keogh oversaw Volkwagen's return to profitability for the first time in years. He's been the  driving force of VW's electric mobility push and instrumental in bringing the VW ID.4 and Audi e-tron SUVs to market in North America. He'll now be tasked with establishing the Scout brand in the U.S.

Volkswagen announced the launch of the Scout brand in May, which will capitalize on the growing market for rugged recreational vehicles that helped to make the return of Ford Motor Co's Bronco SUV a big success. But as an electric-only brand, Scout will probably more closely compete with Rivian's R1T pickup and R1S SUV.

The Scout brand's first two models include an all-electric SUV and an electric pickup truck. The two electric vehicles will be engineered, designed, and manufactured in the U.S. Production of the rugged EVs is slated to begin in 2026. 

VW's new executive appointments will help the automaker transform under its bold NEW AUTO strategy. The company's vision is to transform into an advanced mobility company over the next decade, which includes investments in battery technology and software-based vehicles that can be updated over-the-air.

The plans will transform Volkswagen into an electric mobility provider and software-driven technology company.

VW's next-generation EV platform is called the SSP (Scalable Systems Platform). It will significantly reduce complexity over time by sharing core components between models. The automaker plans to consolidate three combustion engine platforms and two EV platforms into a unified architecture for Volkswagen's entire portfolio. 

The automaker plans to start the production of pure electric vehicles on the highly scalable SSP in 2026. The SSP could eventually serve as the foundation for millions of VW EVs. 

Volkswagen gained the rights to the Scout name when its Traton truck division took control of Navistar International in 2020. Navistar International was created in 1985 when International Harvester shut its doors. 

International Harvester produced the original Scout SUV in Fort Wayne Indiana from 1961 to 1980. The Scout was recognized as the precursor to today's rugged SUVs, which include vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Both of which the electric Scout brand will compete with.

FutureCar Staff