Munro Vehicles is an automotive startup founded in 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland and its first offering, the Munro Mark 1, is a rugged electric off-roader designed to carry people and equipment over difficult terrain.
The plan was to make a vehicle that is interesting for industrial operations like gold mining, forestry or even just farmers and half of first year production run is already spoken for and going to the US where it already has a distribution deal in place.
The Munro Mark 1 has a single 371 horsepower / 516 pound-foot (700Nm) electric motor that sends power to all four wheels through Land Rover Defender solid axles. The vehicle is largely based on an off-road kit car called the Ibex and what Munro Vehicles has done is reengineer that vehicle to accommodate its own electric powertrain.
Battery capacity is 80.1 kWh and they say it is capable of achieving 168 miles (270 km) on one charge (on-road) and that it will have fast charging. The vehicle’s interior is very basic, although it does get selectable high and low ranges courtesy of its conventional driveline. It can wade through up to 3 feet of water, which is about as much as a Rivian.
Limited production of the Munro Mark 1 will begin in 2023 when the company intends to build 50 units. If all goes to plan, it intends to increase production to 2,500 units per year by 2025 and then 5,000 units by 2030. Both left- and right-hand drive versions are in the pipeline and they plan to sell them at around £75,000 ($87,000).
Gallery: Munro Mark 1
The United States will be one of the main markets, according to Munro CEO Russ Peterson who spoke to Autocar. He said
North America is a key growth market for Munro and we’re pleased to be able to partner with Wyre to realise our ambitions ahead of our original timeline.
We’re dedicating half of our 2023 production to left-hand-drive vehicles developed specifically for the US market, which Wyre will deliver to customers throughout the year.
It will be interesting to see if there will really be a market for this vehicle, especially with the high asking price, given that an electric pickup truck (of which there will be a few by 2025 in the US) will tackle all but the toughest terrains. The remarkably capable Rivian R1S or R1T will be available from around $70,000 when their cheaper dual-motor powertrains become available.
The Munro EV will also be going up against the vehicles from the Scout brand resurrected by Volkswagen, since it too wants its vehicles to be very capable off-road and it's specifically designing these vehicles for the US market.
