Harvester Engine (Range Extender) will be a VW engine, quiet, and tucked away

[Macallan 18]

Scout’s Range Extender Will Be a VW Engine That You Won’t Even Notice

Scout says its gas range extender will be mounted so low and far behind the passengers that they won't even know it's there when it's on.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/scouts-range-extender-will-be-a-vw-engine-that-you-wont-even-notice

"since the engine only has to act as an electricity generator for the battery, Scout might be able to get away with using one of VW’s smaller-displacement Euro-market engines."​

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If you’ve ever driven a BMW i3, you’d know that range extenders aren’t always the most enjoyable things to use. When that little Bavarian scooter engine kicks on, it sounds and feels like there’s a lawnmower in the trunk. The i3 also loses a ton of power while relying on the gas engine for electro-juice. But Ryan Decker, head of strategy at Scout, says there’s nothing to worry about in their implementation. Since the Scout is body-on-frame, with a traditional truck-style ladder frame, there’s plenty of room in the back of the chassis to hide the little range extender away.​

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“It’s so far away you don’t hear it, you don’t feel it, so you still get the sensation of driving a quiet, small electric vehicle,” said Decker.​

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Keogh also squashed any fears that either Scout model would lose power, off-roading ability, or towing capacity when the gas engine kicks on. “You still have 100% gradability, you still have all the ground clearance, you still have a frunk, you still have all of the things.”​

 

[Mr._Bill]

Scout has not announced any actual details about the generator package. Use of a VW engine is possible, but still speculation at this point.

 

[Deuce]

That's fine. It's an engine that'll probably never be stressed much to recharge a battery. VW can do it. There's no issues with transmissions or lots of other parts so I'm not worried with whatever engine they pick.

 

[Pogeegitz]

I'm curious as to whether the range extender will be able to function as a generator, and/or run while the vehicle is parked to charge the battery. Back-country camping for extended periods is a big part of what I plan on using my Terra for.

 

[soedesh]

Looks like VW has a 1.0 liter three cylinder gas engine (EA211 1.0 R3) that puts out a minimum of 60hp (44kW), so maybe something like that. One source says it weighs about 194lb. I wonder if these range extenders need to meet all the same emissions tests as a ICE vehicle...

 

[ScoutMagnatta]

Mike the car geek does a great educational guess about this



It's worth a watch. And he might be closer to his predictions.

 

[TwoJacks]

He doesn’t seem to be aware of the stated 150 mile range for the Harvester battery.

 

[tymont12]

This is a hot take but the fact that they're showing an accessory jerry can on the Traveler makes me think that the harvester can keep extending the vehicle's range as long as you fill the tank. Whether or not that means you can keep going at highway speeds...who knows.

My main reason for wanting the harvester is the ability to take this offroad, camp, and continue to keep going even when there's no charging available. This is more common than you think out West. At the very least, I want the harvester to be able to charge the battery while sitting in camp so I can keep going.

 

[Bkenyon53]

This is a hot take but the fact that they're showing an accessory jerry can on the Traveler makes me think that the harvester can keep extending the vehicle's range as long as you fill the tank. Whether or not that means you can keep going at highway speeds...who knows.

My main reason for wanting the harvester is the ability to take this offroad, camp, and continue to keep going even when there's no charging available. This is more common than you think out West. At the very least, I want the harvester to be able to charge the battery while sitting in camp so I can keep going.

Exactly what I was thinking when I saw that. I was under the assumption that the Harvester would just extend the charge term. So if it's only 150miles on EV, at some point the Harvester kicks on and charges the battery to a point that would extend it to the 500 mile range by slowing down the loss of charge. If the battery was depleted in this case, the Harvester wouldn't do anything while driving because it would charge at a slower rate than is being consumed.

The only thing I can think is that the Harvester can charge without moving and add some juice back into the battery (which could be a reason for the jerry can).

 

[KarlT]

This is a hot take but the fact that they're showing an accessory jerry can on the Traveler makes me think that the harvester can keep extending the vehicle's range as long as you fill the tank. Whether or not that means you can keep going at highway speeds...who knows.

My main reason for wanting the harvester is the ability to take this offroad, camp, and continue to keep going even when there's no charging available. This is more common than you think out West. At the very least, I want the harvester to be able to charge the battery while sitting in camp so I can keep going.

The Jerry can is for starting your campfire.

 

[ScoutMagnatta]

He doesn’t seem to be aware of the stated 150 mile range for the Harvester battery.

I believe this video was before they stated 150 mile range. If I'm not mistaken.

 

[thespieler11]

I'm curious as to whether the range extender will be able to function as a generator, and/or run while the vehicle is parked to charge the battery. Back-country camping for extended periods is a big part of what I plan on using my Terra for.

Watching the CES overview of the infotainment system you can see camp mode turned on and I believe the harvester was an option to turn on or off

 

[Pogeegitz]

Exactly what I was thinking when I saw that. I was under the assumption that the Harvester would just extend the charge term. So if it's only 150miles on EV, at some point the Harvester kicks on and charges the battery to a point that would extend it to the 500 mile range by slowing down the loss of charge. If the battery was depleted in this case, the Harvester wouldn't do anything while driving because it would charge at a slower rate than is being consumed.

The only thing I can think is that the Harvester can charge without moving and add some juice back into the battery (which could be a reason for the jerry can).

Probably too early for any exact data, but I'd be interested to see how long it takes/how many gallons are burned in order to fully charge when not moving.

 

[TXArchitect]

Do you think there will be a solar option over the glass panel panoramic roof or plug in a portable solar panel that can charge some while out in the front country? I assume running the Harvester when vehicle parked and off is not possible.