As covered by TheDriven earlier this year, Scottish based EV start-up Munro Vehicles is developing a serious off-road 4×4 that will also be road registration capable.
Since that initial reveal, Munro have been conducting field trials of their vehicle as well as seeking customer feedback. As a result, Munro have made significant design and technical improvements to the early prototype revealed back in January.
From that development work has come the completion of the first pre-production series M 4×4 utility: a hard-top five seater.
“Witnessing the first pre-production Munro Series-M Utility roll off the line is a momentous moment,” said Munro head of vehicle sales, Marcus Mackle.
“Both for Munro and Scotland, as the Series-M Utility is the first light vehicle to enter mass production since the Linwood car factory closed in 1981.
“While it represents an undeniably historic occasion, Munro’s focus is firmly on the future. With a healthy, two-year customer pipeline worth £68 million for the innovative and sustainability-focussed Munro Series-M Utility hard top and Series-M Truck open-bed, we can look forward with confidence.”
The Munro Series-M now features a more streamlined and lighter front end, allowing greater forward visibility and a more attractive appearance. The panels have also been modified to make them more easily replaced in the field. At the rear, there are plans for an ‘exoskeleton’ mounted on the hard top on Utility specification models to enable the easy fitment of equipment.
Responding to customer feedback on its early demonstrator vehicles, Munro has also introduced an adjustable steering column with steering wheel controls, plus a raft of ergonomic enhancements including improvement of the seat rake and height adjustment. A full suite of safety equipment, including airbags, ABS brakes, stability and traction control is also now included.
“Revisiting how some of the major components were packaged allowed us to enhance the aesthetic and technical aspects of the Munro Series-M Truck and Pick-Up,” explained Munro Head of Design, Ross Compton.
“We have created an even more distinct design that builds upon the Munro name while introducing improvements to areas such as aerodynamic and cooling performance and efficiency.”
The battery pack will now use LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry, with a faster DC rapid charging rate of 130kW. Munro has also improved the overall efficiency through using scavenged waste heat from the drivetrain to assist heating of the cabin.
Initially, the vehicle will be offered in ‘Pick-Up’ and ‘Truck’ configurations with two power train choices: ‘standard’ M170 (170kW) and ‘high-power’ M280 (280kW).
UK deliveries are scheduled to begin with eight pilot vehicles in 2023 to demonstrate ‘product-market fit’ with a further 220 vehicles planned for delivery in 2024/25. Following that, Munro intend to ramp up production to 2,500 units by 2027.
In response to whether we will ever see the Munro here in Australia, Munro were relatively non-committal in their answer saying their plan is to “release the Munro MK_1 globally over the next few years via a network of carefully selected dealers and distributors.”
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.