Though it disappeared over 40 years ago, International Harvester is a mythical brand in North America thanks in part to the Scout, one of the world’s first SUVs. Now, Scout Motors is back under Volkswagen as an all-new marque and just revealed its first two models: the Terra pickup and Traveler SUV. Both use a brand-new EV platform and will start at under $60,000 before incentives when production launches in 2027.

Scout motors says its “priority was to honor the spirit of the original Scout,” sold by International from 1961 to 1980 in various forms. Though the Traveler and Terra clearly have modern designs, they use rounded contours and a “black mask” on the front and rear fascias to invoke the older models. They also come with separate bumpers and upward-sweeping side windows, again reminiscent of the classic Scout.

Other design elements are fully modern, like a thin LED strip around the “grill” and rectangular headlights bisected by slim daytime running lights. (The models shown here are 85 percent of what we’ll see in final production vehicles, Scout said).

The original Scout and International 150 pickup were practical and tough (we called it “Inter-smashable” back in the day), and the new models will keep some of those aspects. Both have body-on-frame construction with a solid rear axle, along with front and rear locking hubs for off-road use. They’ll offer 2,000 pounds of payload along with 7,000 pounds of towing capacity for the Traveler and 10,000 pounds for the Terra pickup. Both will come with all-wheel drive via front and rear electric motors.

That should keep working and outdoorsy buyers happy, but the vehicles can also raise your hairs. Both will accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds thanks to an estimated 1,000 pound-feet of torque and four-wheel-drive system, though Scout has yet to provide a top speed.

The base trim package will offer up to 350 miles of range while the extended range version is effectively a hybrid that will go up to 500 miles using a gas-powered range extender. Charging times aren’t mentioned, but they’ll use an 800-volt architecture that supports up to 350 kW speeds. It will also feature bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-home capabilities, along with over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics.

The cabin is as far as it can be from the spartan interior on the originals. It looks luxurious and high-tech with a digital cluster and large displays, along with a promised “responsive” infotainment system and high-resolution backup cameras. At the same time, it comes with toggles and dials for climate and other controls. The seats and panels are covered with a mix of brown leather, fabric and a wood-like material.

Both have a frunk with 120-volt and USB-C outlets and can fit golf clubs, a gym bag and a small cooler, Scout says. The Terra’s 5.5-foot bed will also contain a 120- and 240-volt outlets for tools, compressors and the like.

The Traveler, meanwhile, will have a split tailgate and come with two roof options. The first is a Cabana top with panels that fold back for open-air motoring, while the second is a glass roof with a powered shade. Both vehicles will be available with a front bench seat to increase passenger capacity.

Much like Tesla, Scout will sell its vehicles directly to consumers without a dealership in the middle. Purchasing one will take “minutes” with the company promising full price transparency and handling sales, delivery and service. You’ll be able to check them out in person at dedicated “Scout Workshop” retail and service locations.

Both models are designed and engineered in Michigan and will be built at a new factory in Columbia, South Carolina by some 4,000 workers. Production starts in 2027 with vehicles arriving for the 2028 model year. Prices will start under $60,000, according to Scout Motors, and reservations are now open.

For the third month in a row, a football game has taken the top slot in the U.S. sales charts, according to industry-tracking firm Circana. Granted, the three games represent two different kinds of football — while Madden NFL 25 and EA Sports College Football 25 dominated August and July, respectively, September’s big seller was EA Sports FC 25. Circana reports that the latter also broke a record, having the highest launch month sales of any soccer game released in the U.S.

However, the picture was not so rosy elsewhere on Circana’s report. Video game hardware sales are still in freefall, while overall sales numbers for the industry are down year-over-year. Mat Piscatella, Circana’s executive producer for games reports, said in a statement, “September video game hardware spending fell 44% when compared to a year ago, to $251 million. This is the lowest monthly hardware spend total for a September month since 2019 ($242 million).”

The sales charts for the year-to-date are not much better, showing that total sales almost flat from September 2023’s chart. While video game content specifically is up 6% YoY, that number is dragged down by the almost 30% decrease from YTD 2023 to YTD 2024. Mobile content spending is up, according to Sensor Tower’s data, but most other stats are down.

There are a few things worth noting from the specific sales results: Circana’s sales show that the Xbox Series X is slightly edging out the Series S in sales, making up 51% of Xbox Series units sold life-to-date. Accessory sales are still holding on, with the PlayStation Portal being the best-selling accessory for the year-to-date — 3% of all PlayStation 5 owners also own a Portal.

Circana September 2024: Top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.

October’s sales charts contains a high saturation of new games, with seven new games making it into the top 20 slots — five of them in the top 10. The top game is the aforementioned EA Sports FC 25, which beat last year’s EA Sports FC 24 in sales and broke the record for launch month sales for a soccer title. The fact that EA’s soccer title continues to chart well despite the company’s break from the FIFA branding. The game was also the best-selling title on PlayStation and Xbox platforms, and the fifth best-selling title on Nintendo Switch. NBA 2K25 and NHL 25 also bring sports game success, debuting at 7th and 9th place on the charts, respectively.

Sony’s Astro Bot follows FC 24 at second place, and is also the second best-selling game on PlayStation platforms. Nintendo’s new Zelda title, Echoes of Wisdom is the fourth best-selling title and could have been higher, but Circana only has physical sales data for Nintendo products. Space Marine 2 is not only the 18th best-selling title, it was also the third most-played game on Steam during September. The Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is the final new game that made the charts with its brand recognition and familiar characters.

Circana’s September 2024 chart might be the most chaotic yet

September’s sales charts contains not only a number of new games, but also a high number of games that have jumped up the charts from a relatively low position. The biggest example of this is Dead Rising, which went from 502nd place to 11th thanks to the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. Piscatella clarified on Bluesky that games are tracked by stock-keeping units (SKUs), which means that sales of the remaster count towards the number of the original as well. Age of Mythology appears to have received a similar boost thanks to the launch of its Retold remaster.

Other games that jumped up several places are Final Fantasy XVI and God of War Ragnarok, which launched on PC on September 17 and 19, respectively. The PC launches have boosted the profile of both games, though God of War Ragnarok has weathered some discontent from players for requiring a PSN account in order to run the game.

Circana September 2024: 20 best-selling games of 2024 so far

Unlike the September sales charts, the year-to-date charts remain relatively unchanged, albeit slightly remixed. The only September game that made it to this chart was EA Sports FC 25, which also pushed its predecessor EA Sports FC 24 one place down the list. Madden NFL 25 has also gotten a boost up the list with its continued high sales.

The StrictlyVC series — known for bringing the biggest stories and key players to an audience of VCs, LPs, founders, and operators — is holding its first-ever event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. Be at Disrupt in the Deal Flow Cafe on Tuesday, October 29, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., located at Moscone West in San Francisco.

This session promises to be an exceptional opportunity for investors. If you’re keen to network with fellow professionals in the investment space, then this is the session to attend. StrictlyVC is exclusive to Disrupt 2024 Investor Pass holders.

This StrictlyVC lineup features leading players in the investment world, prepared to offer their insights to investors attending Disrupt 2024. Without further delay, here is the full agenda for the StrictlyVC session.

The full StrictlyVC lineup at Disrupt 2024

• Aileen Lee, Founder and Managing Partner, Cowboy Ventures
• Alex Pall and Drew Taggart from The Chainsmokers, Co-Founders and Partners, MANTIS Venture Capital
• Beezer Clarkson, Partner, Sapphire Partners
• Jessica Archibald, General Partner, Top Tier Capital Partners
• Nirmal Utwani, Director of Engineering, Growth, Amplitude
• Rick Prostko, Senior Managing Director, Teachers’ Venture Growth, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
• Vlad Voroninski, CEO and Founder, Helm.ai
• Wesley Chan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, FPV Ventures

Don’t miss out on these investment talks at Disrupt

StrictlyVC events have featured top-tier speakers like VC Katie Haun, Federal Trade Commission chief Lina Khan, and Sam Altman of OpenAI, making them a must-attend for anyone in the industry. Now, for the first time, we’re bringing one of these boutique events to the massive Disrupt conference! Don’t miss your chance to connect with your peers and pick up some valuable insights from the top names in the investment world.

Grab your Investor Pass today and save up to $300. Ticket rates will rise at the door.

It’s already pretty hard to avoid being bombarded with TV ads, whether you’re watching Prime Video or pausing YouTube – and LG is now making things a little worse by bringing its pesky screensaver ads to older OLED TV models.

Last month, we reported that recent LG TVs, including premium OLEDs, were sneakily starting to show screensaver ads after sets had been left idle for a while. Some testing on our own LG G4 confirmed that to be the case. Now, FlatpanelsHD is reporting that those ads are rolling out to older models dating back to 2020, too.

India will get a Rs 1000 crore venture capital fund to boost the space sector. The fund aims to address the need for risk capital, as traditional lenders are hesitant to fund startups in this high-tech sector. 

There are nearly 250 space startups emerging across the value chain which may need financial support, the cabinet note said. 

This approval was given by the union cabinet on Thursday as part of its 2020 space sector reforms. Under these reforms, the government set up IN-SPACe to promote and oversee private sector participation in space activities. 

The officials said the Rs 1000 crore venture capital fund would support the growth of India’s space economy, currently valued at S8.4 billion, with a target to reach $44 billion by 2033. 

“The proposed government-backed fund will boost investor confidence, attract private capital, and signal the government’s commitment to advancing space reforms,” the cabinet statement said. 

The proposed Rs 1,000 crore VC fund is planned to be up to five years from the actual date of start of the fund operations. 

The average deployment amount could be Rs 150-250 crore per year, depending on the investment opportunities and fund requirements. 

The government said the fund will create a multiplier effect by attracting additional funding for later-stage development, thereby instilling confidence in private investors along with retention of space companies domiciled within India. This will help counter the trend of Indian companies setting base abroad.