A coterie of Florida car dealers filed a lawsuit this week against Scout Motors over its direct-to-consumer sales model. The complaint alleges that Scout, which operates under the Volkswagen Group, is in violation of Florida law which blocks automakers from trying to bypass dealers by selling directly to consumers.

Scout Motors' plan to eschew traditional dealerships and sell EVs directly to consumers is running into legal trouble. A group of Volkswagen and Audi

A group of Florida Volkswagen and Audi dealerships filed a lawsuit against Scout Motors over its direct-to-consumer retail model.

A group of Volkswagen and Audi dealerships in Florida have filed a lawsuit against Scout Motors over its direct-to-consumer sales model. The lawsuit alleges that Scout shouldn’t be viewed as separate from other VW Group brands.

Scout, of course, disagreed, responding with a letter of its own:

Under Florida law, even a deposit is considered a sale. Audi and VW dealers in the state aren't having it. S cout’s plan to sell its cars directly to consumers is already facing

The Scout, which gets its name from the legendary International Harvester Scout, differentiates itself from other electric runabouts that sell themselves as "tough," like Tesla's Cybertruck, by giving them an "old-school" feel,