Category: Reviews

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The Scout Terra is here, and it looks great. It’s the better-looking of the two recently revealed Scout prototypes, which the manufacturer says are at about 80% representative of the finished production models. What we’re looking at right now are essentially hand-built design studies—the factory where it will be assembled is still a few years away from completion.

It’s interesting to observe how two different manufacturers ended up creating such similar trucks. Under the skin, though, they are not related in any way and are actually quite different. The Terra pickup and Traveler SUV are both built on a new body-on-frame platform developed with the backing of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group.

They’re both about the same size, and they are about as direct as rivals in terms of capability. Probably the single biggest difference between them is that you can buy a Rivian R1T today, while for the Scout Terra, you have to wait at least three more years. Another significant difference is that you will be able to put fuel in the Terra to extend its range with gasoline power.

Let’s take a look at the other ways these electric trucks are similar, and different. 

Size

The Scout Terra is about a foot longer than the R1T, measuring 229.2 inches (5.82 meters) in length versus the Rivian’s 217.1 in (5.51 meters). That extra foot of length allows it to have a 5.5-foot (1.67 m) bed while the Rivian makes do with a 4.5-foot (1.37 m) bed.

The R1T is slightly wider at 81.8 in (2.08 m) with its mirrors folded, while the Terra measures 79.9 in (2.03 m) in width. With mirrors out, the measurements increase to 87.1 in (2.21 m) and 91.6 in (2.32 m), respectively. The size of the cab seems to be about the same, so both vehicles should offer similar levels of interior room.

Power

Rivian offers the R1T with standard all-wheel drive with two and three motors, with power levels ranging from 533 to 850 horsepower with up to 1,103 pound-feet of torque—in top spec, it’s really quick. The most potent one you can buy has a quad-motor powertrain with 1,050 hp and 1,198 lb-ft. Rivian claims it can accelerate to 60 mph in “less than 2.5 seconds,” putting it in supercar territory in a straight line. The base dual-motor R1T needs 4.5 seconds to hit sixty.

Only dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations will be offered for the Scout Terra. The manufacturer claims it will be able to do the dash to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and should feel pretty muscular thanks to 1,000 lb-ft of torque.

Range

You can get the Rivian R1T with battery packs ranging from 92.5 to 141.5 kilowatt-hours, which can provide between 292 and 420 miles of EPA range. Because it has a 400-volt architecture, the R1T doesn’t charge as quickly as EVs built on higher-voltage platforms, topping out at 220 kW. That’s enough to bring the largest battery pack from 20 to 80% state of charge in 40 minutes, according to the manufacturer.

The Scout Terra runs on 800 volts, so it charges at speeds of up to 350 kW, enabling it to complete the 20 to 80% charge in 25 minutes. Scout hasn’t specified the Terra’s battery capacity, but we can expect it to go up to 350 miles on one charge.

Should you want to extend the Terra’s range further, there will be an option for a Harvester combustion engine (that isn’t connected to the wheels and works solely as a generator), which will push the range to 500 miles. It’s already proving to be an especially popular option among those who have put their name down for one.

Having the safety net of a combustion engine to add miles seems to be an attractive prospect for buyers. Scout hasn’t said whether the range extender Terra will have a smaller battery pack than the pure EV. If so, it will make the truck more enticing than the Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which gets a smaller pack compared to the fully electric Rev.

You will be able to use the Terra just like a BEV truck, unlike the Ramcharger, whose smaller battery will need the engine to turn on more often or require more frequent charging stops.

Scout will deliver the Terra with a NACS charging connector, making it compatible with Tesla’s Supercharger network. If you want to charge a Rivian via a Tesla Supercharger, you will need a special CCS to NACS adapter.

Towing

With an expected tow rating of 10,000 pounds, the Scout Terra won’t be able to match the Rivian R1T’s 11,000-pound rating. However, with a 2000-pound maximum payload, it will be able to carry slightly more than the R1T, which is rated at up to 1,764 pounds.

Features

One of the most unique features offered by the Rivian R1T is its gear tunnel. This is located behind the cab, and it’s an extra 11.7 cubic-foot compartment where you can store items (including longer ones) that you don’t want to leave in the bed. The gear tunnel could also accommodate a slide-out camp kitchen, but Rivian discontinued the option in 2022. Now you can add a special toolbox that slides out.

It also has an 11.1-cubic-foot front trunk, making it very practical. If you do want to leave something in the bed, the Gear Guard system monitors your belongings, as well as the truck itself. This system is similar to Tesla’s Sentry Mode.

With its standard air suspension, the R1T can vary its ride height between 7.9 in (20 centimeters) and 14.4 in (36.5 cm). In its lowest (and stiffest) setting, it’s surprisingly good to drive for a pickup, sticking to corners better than you would expect a pickup weighing over 7,000 pounds to manage.

The R1T doesn’t have any kind of mechanical differential locks (the quad-motor version doesn’t even have traditional differentials). It can simulate their effect and this makes the R1T a surprisingly good rock-crawler and generally good off-roader, but it won’t be up to the same level as the Scout Terra.

Scout doesn’t say how much the Terra’s air suspension varies the ride height, simply stating that it will have “over a foot” of ground clearance. You will also be able to specify 35-inch tires from the factory and the vehicle will feature a front mechanical locking diff to help it pull itself out of tricky situations. The Terra will have a solid rear axle and the ability to disconnect its sway bars to increase wheel travel and further enhance its off-road ability.

While the R1T’s interior adopts a minimalist design style (which almost makes it look Volvo-esque), the Terra has a much more traditional-looking interior. It still has a big infotainment screen in the middle of the dash, but it also has a bench seat in the front and a row of physical controls under the screen. It also has an actual compass built into the headliner, which is both useful and aesthetically pleasing.

Powering your home during an outage is possible with the Scout Terra thanks to vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging. It also has two 120-volt and one 240-volt in the bed, making it possible to power tools like the ones used around a building site—Scout wants this to be a work truck too and it wants you to work on your own vehicle with up to 80% of its parts being serviceable at home. Rivian plans to add V2H in the future.

Price

You can have a Rivian R1T starting at $71,700. The current range-topper, the R1T Tri Max, costs $101,700. The R1T Quad Max, which is coming in 2025, could start at around $120,000. All Rivians that cost less than $80,000 are eligible for a $3,750 federal tax credit.

Scout says that with the federal tax credit factored in, the Terra will cost $51,500, so it will still come in under $60,000 even without incentives.

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