Florida VW, Audi Dealers Sue to Block Direct Sales by Scout Motors
Several of Florida’s largest dealer groups have jointly filed suit against Scout Motors in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Automotive News’s Jack Walsworth reports. The lawsuit seeks to block Scout Motors and its parent company, Volkswagen Group, from selling Scout EVs directly to Florida car buyers.
“The lawsuit, believed to be the first formal legal challenge on behalf of VW and Audi dealers over Scout’s plans to sell straight to consumers, also challenges the brand’s independence from parent Volkswagen Group and claims it is not properly licensed as a manufacturer in the state,” Walsworth writes.
Attorneys representing the dealer groups told Walsworth that, under state law, Scout Motors is considered a “common entity” with VW Group of America, which has an established agreement with Florida franchisees. Volkswagen claims Scout Motors is an independent company that should be allowed to sell vehicles directly to consumers in Florida, as do Tesla, Rivian and Lucid.
The lawsuit is believed to be the first legal action taken since late December, when the California New Car Dealers Association sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding that Scout Motors abandon plans to sell EVs directly to consumers in that state.
