Glasgow-based automotive start-up Munro Vehicles has officially unveiled its first vehicle, the Munro Mk_1, said to be the world’s most capable all-electric 4×4.
Named after the Scottish mountains and starting deliveries from next year, the all-electric 4×4 is priced from £49,995 (excl. VAT) in five-door, five-seat, 130-inch wheelbase Utility guise.
It combines either a 300 or 381hp electric powertrain for zero tailpipe emissions with a mechanical driveline said to be best in class and to deliver uncompromised off-road ability.
Two battery packs, 61kWh and 82kWh, will be available, giving a range of up 190 miles. This allows the Munro to operate off-road for up to 16 hours on a single battery charge.
The Munro is intended to provide a much-needed solution for organisations look to decarbonise in numerous sectors including construction, agriculture, mining, environmental, emergency rescue, remote infrastructure maintenance and recreation.
Alongside its zero tailpipe emissions, the heavy-duty offroader will provide a 1,000kg payload and 3,500kg towing capacity, enabling it to transport a crew of five and equipment across all terrains.
It’s also designed for durabiliy and engineered for 50 years of service with routine maintenance and planned refurbishment.
Munro was founded in 2019 by Russell Peterson and Ross Anderson, with Peterson assuming the CEO role and Anderson appointed head of powertrain.
The vehicle heralds a return to vehicle production for Scotland after an absence of over four decades since Peugeot-Talbot closed its Linwood plant in 1981.
Production and sales will eventually reach over 2,500 vehicles by around 2025. Orders have come from locations across the globe including the UK, Switzerland, St Lucia, and Dubai. Several pre-sale agreements have been reached with fleet operators in key industries.
Equipped with a 12-volt electrical system as standard, the Munro is offered with a choice of low- and high-power DC convertors for running ancillaries such as winches and light bars. In addition to two USB C sockets and two wireless charging pads, it’s equipped with two three-pin household sockets, which can be used to power a microwave and a kettle.
Ceiling-mounted LED strips provide in-cabin illumination, and the Munro comes with pre-wiring and a pre-mounted switch to facilitate flashing roof beacons if required.
The dashboard features a double DIN screen, offered as a no-cost option and fully compatible with Android Auto and Google CarPlay, along with six speakers.
For vehicles where operators are not permitted to listen to the radio for safety reasons, such as railway support, customers can unspecify the double DIN unit. It can also be upgraded with a superior unit or replaced with a UHF two-way radio.
Styling is intended to combine practical engineering requirements with aesthetics and was undertaken by Munro’s head of design – and Coventry University Automotive and Transport Design graduate – Ross Compton, who previously led projects at Bollinger Motors and Atlis Motor Vehicles.
“We have made it very clear that the Munro is focused entirely on providing the world’s best emission-free off-road driving experience. But we are equally aware that not all our customers will be farmers and mountain rescue drivers, and we are entirely comfortable with that,” outlined Compton. “We are confident that the Munro’s classless design will look just as good in Richmond London as in Richmond Yorkshire.”
The Munro is also engineered to be simple and low-cost to maintain, with the extensive use of existing components to enable a claimed superior total cost of ownership and maximum uptime.
While Munro will establish a series of agents to market the Munro, it won’t set up a dealer network. Each vehicle comes with a full five-year / 100,000-mile warranty, which head of powertrain Ross Anderson describes as “super flexible”.
“We recognise and respect our customers’ right to repair and maintain their vehicle, and their doing so will not invalidate the warranty. Customers who are unable, or do not wish to look after the vehicle themselves, can either bring their Munro to their local agent, or our service fleet will visit them and carry out the work onsite at their convenience.”
