Scout Motors Hiring Up to 400 Workers in South Carolina

Good news for South Carolinians looking for solid manufacturing work: Scout Motors is hiring hundreds of workers for its brand new electric vehicle plant, and you don't need any prior factory experience to apply.

The Volkswagen subsidiary will hire between 200 and 400 assembly line workers throughout 2026 at its Blythewood facility. These positions pay between $30 and $37.50 per hour depending on experience, and Scout will train new hires on the job.

The company is looking for people to help build its first test vehicles, which are scheduled to roll off the line by the end of this year. The first Scout EVs will ship to customers in 2027, with more than 150,000 people already signed up to buy one.

Scout's HR chief Clarice Henderson says nearly all 600 applicants for earlier positions were South Carolina residents, not people moving in from out of state. This hiring wave builds on 76 factory workers already brought on in the past six months to set up machinery and robotics.

New employees will spend their first two weeks learning company policies and benefits before branching into specialized training for their specific roles. Applications go through Ready SC, a state technical college program that helps train workers for new businesses.

The Ripple Effect

This is just the beginning for the region. When the $2 billion plant reaches full capacity around 2030, it will employ 4,000 workers building 200,000 vehicles annually.

The Scout campus will also host three supplier buildings, including a battery assembly contractor and a custom parts manufacturer. CEO Scott Keogh estimates these on-site suppliers will create another 1,000 jobs at the 1,600-acre Blythewood campus.

The plant will produce both fully electric and hybrid models when it opens. Interested workers can apply online at the Scout Motors website, where Ready SC will handle initial screening.

South Carolina is building a manufacturing future that works for people without college degrees or factory backgrounds, one good-paying job at a time.