When Volkswagen decided to relaunch the Scout SUV brand it took a very unusual step. It created a new subsidiary company to design, build and sell vehicles targeted, almost entirely, at a single market: the United States.
Its status as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, similar to Audi and Porsche, gives some indication of just how important this project is to VW. The revived and revamped Scout Motors will introduce its new brand of all-electric off-road-capable SUVs, kind of like Rivian.
The new Scout will be different than the classic ones, of course. The vehicles will feature modern technology and, most crucially, they'll be all-electric – even as EV sales growth has dampened in the US market. The industry faces challenges with battery costs and charging infrastructure, but Volkswagen is building its own EV battery plant in Canada and a battery engineering lab in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And the EV charging company Electrify America is also VW-owned.
Read more at the link in our bio.
📸: Scout Motors
The decarbonisation of construction is moving rapidly from policy to implementation. On Teesside, a major operation and maintenance award for the UK’s first commercial‑scale carbon capture project signals a shift from pilot schemes to large‑scale delivery. The East Coast Cluster development could significantly reduce embodied carbon in materials central to sustainable construction. It aligns with growing demand for low embodied carbon materials and whole life carbon assessment in both new projects and retrofit schemes.
Advances in low carbon design are reshaping plant and logistics. JCB’s introduction of excavators operating on 100% biodiesel offers an immediate pathway to cut the carbon footprint of construction equipment, complementing the move towards carbon neutral construction. Tevva’s hydrogen‑electric truck extends zero‑emission transport options in daily site logistics, supporting the transition to energy‑efficient buildings and greener supply chains that improve lifecycle assessment outcomes and life cycle cost efficiency.
The workforce and regulation are evolving to sustain environmental sustainability in construction. New government funding to address building‑safety competence could accelerate sustainable building design, digital quality assurance, and modern methods using eco‑friendly construction processes. Regulatory tightening on waste management reinforces the importance of circular economy in construction, verified waste routes and end‑of‑life reuse in construction to minimise the environmental impact of construction operations.
Boards across the sector are being urged to embed sustainable building practices and apply life cycle thinking in construction procurement. By locking in low carbon construction materials from carbon capture hubs, piloting renewable fuels and hydrogen drivetrains, and aligning projects with standards such as BREEAM and future BREEAM v7 frameworks, companies can position for net zero whole life carbon performance. The current momentum places the industry closer to achieving true decarbonising of the built environment, where green construction, sustainable material specification, and eco‑design for buildings underpin every decision from design to demolition.
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