MAN Energy Solutions will supply its large-scale heat pump solution to Scout Motors Inc. for its new electric vehicle production in the State of South Carolina, USA. This major venture is part of a multi-billion investment by Volkswagen AG in the American company, which is producing the next generation of fully electric pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), echoing the iconic Scout vehicles built from the 1960s to 1980.

Located in Blythewood near Columbia in the heart of South Carolina, the new facility is designed for an annual production capacity of over 200,000 electric vehicles. With the factory sprawling across approximately 1,100 acres, the manufacturing site faces substantial heating and cooling demands. To address these demands, MAN Energy Solutions will install a heat pump system featuring two compressors, each delivering a 12.5 MW output. This solution will provide heating during the mild winter months and cooling throughout the hot summer, leveraging the heat pump's ability to transfer thermal energy from the ambient air.

Gunnar Kilian, member of the Board of Volkswagen AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of MAN Energy Solutions, stated: "The cooperation between MAN Energy Solutions and Scout Motors underscores the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality at all production sites worldwide by 2040. By investing in the large-scale heat pump, both companies are setting a precedent for a sustainable future, as heat pumps make a significant contribution to a sustainable energy supply from both an ecological and economic perspective."

“Scout has always been oriented toward community, family and the outdoors,” said Scott Keogh, President and CEO of Scout Motors. “As we build our company, production center and ultimately our vehicles, we are taking great care to treat our community, air, land, water and people with respect. We’re just getting started. The inclusion of heat pumps in our facility is one of many sustainable practices we will implement over the next few years as we work to honor our lead with respect commitment.”   

Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions, stated: "We are thrilled to partner with Scout Motors on this project. Our technology expertise and process knowledge allow us to provide the advantages of large-scale heat pumps to industrial and municipal customers. Our heat pump solution can meet a factory’s or a community’s heating and cooling needs without emitting any CO₂. This project could serve as a blueprint for future production facilities in the US and all over the world."

Adapting to seasonal requirements, the 25 MW heat pump solution features two five-stage RH71 heat pump compressors, each with a 12.5 MW capacity. Both units are used for cooling, while a single machine can fulfil heating needs. The order includes electric motors, process equipment such as condensers, coolers, evaporators, piping and a control system.

"The specific ambient conditions demanded a highly adaptable operating map for the applied turbomachinery technology," explained Mikael Adler, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales and Project Management Heat Pumps at MAN Energy Solutions. "The decision was made in favor of our RH compressor as the core technology of our advanced heat pump system for the Scout Motors project. The design minimizes the need for external piping and seals, enhancing machine availability."

Vehicle production is targeted to begin by the end of 2026. Handover and commissioning of the MAN large-scale heat pump is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

Production is becoming more of a focus within Volkswagen Group’s Sustainability Strategy. The Group is aiming for carbon neutrality at all production sites worldwide as early as 2040 – 10 years earlier than planned. 90 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced compared to 2018 by changing the energy supply and increasing energy efficiency. By 2030, 100 percent of the external electricity supply at all locations, including China, should come from CO₂-neutral sources. All European locations are already supplied with 100 percent green electricity.

RH compressor at the core of MAN Energy Solutions’ large-scale heat pump system for Scout Motors