Munro Vehicles, a manufacturer of 4×4 electric vehicles (EVs), has released further details of the exemplary technical specification that enables its first vehicle, the Munro MK_1, to set new standards for off-road-ability.
Following a rigorous two-year test and development programme, the Munro MK_1 will be unveiled at a global launch event in Edinburgh on 5 December. This vehicle looks like a modern version of a Land Rover on steroids, which is no bad thing considering what it’s aimed to do.
Munro, Scotland’s only volume production car company, combines a state-of-the-art electric powertrain featuring a high-efficiency and high-torque axial electric motor, with a robustly proven mechanical 4×4 driveline to ensure optimum go-anywhere-ability.
The vehicle is further bolstered by 480mm ground clearance and 800mm wading depth, plus exceptional axle articulation, a 38-degree approach and 51-degree departure angles. The MunroMK_1 is capable of transporting a crew of five and equipment across all terrains.
Highly utilitarian, the Munro MK_1’s world-beating off-road capability can be effortlessly accessed by expert and novice off-drivers alike. This further underpins the eminent suitability of the all-electric 4×4 for those seeking zero-emission solutions in sectors such as construction, agriculture, mining, environmental, emergency rescue, remote infrastructure maintenance and recreation.
The Munro MK_1 is designed and built in Britain and will be the first vehicle to enter volume production in Scotland in more than four decades. This makes it an exciting time for the company and local economy, which it will support, as well as a proud time for the country as a whole.
Russell Peterson, Munro CEO, said: “From the start, the MunroMK_1 was designed and engineered without compromise for ultimate off-road ability and exceptional longevity.
“That is why we chose a single-central mounted electric motor that delivers power to a robust, proven and easily maintained mechanical four-wheel drive system.
“The best way to drive off-road is to ensure that the same amount of torque is delivered to each wheel and that all the wheels spin at the same speed and that is always best achieved by a single power source and a single unified mechanical driveline.”
Hugh Roberts, director of off-road driving and training company, Far by Four, has assisted Munro with the MK_1’s development programme. Much of which has taken place in the Scottish Highlands.
Hugh Roberts, Far by Four, director of off-road driving and training, said: “We have subjected the Munro to extensive testing off-road. We have driven through deep water and glutinous mud, traversed steep terrain, mastered side slopes and axle twisters and effortlessly towed trailers and vehicles.
“A combination of prodigious electric torque, supple suspension and a rigid chassis makes the Munro an easy vehicle to place confidently without the need for excessive speed to clear technical terrain.”
Back in August, the Glasgow-based 4×4 electric vehicle company announced a deal with Wyre, an all-electric vehicle sales and leasing specialist that’s targeting major industries and utilities throughout the US. This collaboration could see upwards of 3,000 vehicles built and shipped Stateside over the next three years.
Vehicle production will start at a purpose-built factory in East Kilbride at the end of this year ready for shipment in 2023. Munro Vehicles is now Scotland’s only mainstream car manufacturer since the Chrysler plant at Linwood in Renfrewshire ceased production in 1981. The first 50 units will be delivered next year, with 500 in 2024 and 2,500 in 2025.
The Munro 4×4 EV is seen by some as Scotland’s answer to the famous American Humvee. It is being targeted by Wyre for customers in major US utility companies, oil field operators in Texas, farmers in Florida, forestry businesses in Canada and the gold mines of Nevada.
