The latest victor in the heated competition to land electric-vehicle investments is South Carolina, which has won a sizeable new project thanks to the growing attractiveness of the US as an EV market and investment destination. 

Scout Motors, an independent automotive company backed by the Volkswagen Group and headquartered in Virginia, announced plans last week to open a $2 billion electric truck and SUV manufacturing plant outside of Columbia. The more than 1600-acre facility will have a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year and will create at least 4,000 jobs, according to Governor Henry McMaster's office. Production is expected to begin by the end of 2026. 

Another prize is still up for the taking. VW said it is also looking for a site for what will be its first battery factory in North America. The company said North America has become more attractive as a market due to the more than $400bn in clean energy incentives being rolled out by the Biden administration. VW's finance chief Arno Antlitz said the US offers "huge potential" for the company and the incentives bring "the possibility to enlarge our global footprint even faster" in the country.