Scottish EV built to climb mountains

You're looking at the world's most capable, all-electric 4x4. The Munro MK_1 hails from Scotland and combines a state-of-the-art 280kW electric powertrain with a proven, robust, simple-to-maintain mechanical driveline that delivers uncompromised off-road ability. It combines a state-of-the-art 280kW electric powertrain with a proven, robust, simple-to-maintain mechanical driveline that delivers uncompromised off-road ability. The MK_1 can operate for up to 16 hours on a single battery charge and has a range of more than 300km. Munro Vehicles is a manufacturer of all-electric 4x4s and Scotland’s only volume production car company. It plans to build 50 vehicles in 2023 before transitioning to a new purpose-built site near Glasgow in 2024, where production will be ramped up to 250 vehicles per year with plans to deliver 2500 units annually by 2027. Able to transport a crew of five to the most rugged locations, with a 1000kg payload and 3500kg tow capacity, the Munro MK_1 represents the ultimate, sustainable, utilitarian, off-road workhorse. With a focus on off-road performance, reliability, ease-of-repair and longevity, the MK_1 is engineered to provide owners and operators with decades of service. Its attributes make it an ideal choice for those seeking to minimise their environmental footprint in numerous sectors including construction, agriculture, mining, environmental, emergency rescue, remote infrastructure maintenance and recreation -- without compromising on performance or capability. The MK_1 is priced from £49,995 (about $90,000 Aussie dollars) in five-door, five-seat, 3302mm wheelbase Utility guise. Munro is the first automotive manufacturer to build cars at scale in Scotland since Peugeot-Talbot closed its Linwood plant in 1981. The company was founded in 2019 by Russell Peterson and Ross Anderson. The idea, named after a Scottish mountain, came to the pair during an off-road camping trip in the Highlands. “We had already taken measures to reduce our own environmental footprints and had a lot of experience driving our own EV, and got quite used to the instant torque delivery,” Peterson said. “But the off-roader we were driving through the Highlands was combustion-engined and it was really struggling on the steep climbs. "So, we were musing how much better it would be with an electric motor. “On the return journey, we stopped at a café in Braemar, where a bank of 50kW rapid chargers were sitting empty and unused. "Parked up nearby was a large group of combustion-engined safari adventure 4x4s of a type that are no longer manufactured and will have to be replaced eventually. “It dawned on us that there was a gap in the market for an electric-powered, four-wheel-drive, utilitarian workhorse."

The MK_1 is offered with a choice of two electric motors, 220kW or 280kW, along with the option of 61kWh and 82kWh battery packs. The battery pack comprises 35 state-of-the-art Lithium NMC battery modules mounted in three heavy-duty aluminium boxes underneath the vehicle. This arrangement ensures it is quick, convenient, and inexpensive to replace individual battery modules if required, and is guaranteed to deliver 80 per cent of its original capacity for at least eight years and 160,000km. The MK_1 is offered with a choice of two AC charging options, 7kW to replenish the battery overnight, and 22kW which provides a full charge in around 3.5 hours. An industry-standard DC CCS charger is also provided, enabling the battery to be replenished in just over 30 minutes. Every Munro is geared for torque, with a top speed of 130km/h while the 280kW Performance version can surge to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds. However, the focus is firmly on utility, workability and superior off-road drivability. Peak torque of 700Nm is available up to 80km/h, which ensures excellent response off-road. It also means the Munro can effortlessly tow a braked trailer of up to 3500kg. Off-road prowess is enhanced by 480mm of ground clearance and the an 800mm wading depth. Equally impressive 84- and 51-degree approach and departure angles, plus a 148-degree ramp breakover angle, give the Munro the ability to cope effortlessly with steep hills, heavily rutted terrain, craters and boulders. It is, quite simply, the most capable production electric 4x4 on the planet. MK_1 sits on a galvanised steel ladder chassis, designed, engineered, and built at the company’s HQ. Constructed with 5mm thick steel, compared with 1.5mm thick steel used in many 4X4s, the chassis has been developed to provide the ultimate combination of strength, robustness and ease of repair. "The engineering is unashamedly agricultural in nature," Peterson said. The CEO comes from a farming background and ran his own contracting business. "Some people see the term agricultural as potentially derogatory, but at Munro, we certainly don't. “Agricultural vehicles feature some of the most sophisticated technology you can imagine. "But above all, they are engineered to do the job, no matter how much punishment they soak up, and to keep doing it year after year. The launch model is the third iteration of the project and was developed in the Scottish terrain from which it takes its name. The vehicle was subjected to an intensive two-year test program, tackling some of Scotland’s most demanding conditions in all weathers. The design is that of Coventry University Automotive and Transport Design graduate, Ross Compton. Having previously led projects at Bollinger Motors, and Atlis Motor Vehicles, Compton is well-versed in combining practical engineering requirements with aesthetics. Each vehicle comes with a full five-year/160,000km warranty, which Anderson describes as “super flexible.”