Munro Vehicles launches rugged off-road EV

Scottish manufacturer Munro Vehicles has launched an electric off-road car it says is suitable for emergency rescue services.

The Munro Mk_1 combines a 280kW electric powertrain with a mechanical driveline and can operate for 16 hours from a single charge.

Its manufacturer says it is ideal for customers in industries including construction, agriculture and urgent rescue, who are looking to minimise their environmental footprint without compromising on performance.

Priced from £49,995 plus VAT, the Mk_1 can “effortlessly” transport a crew of five to the most rugged locations, according to the firm behind it.

It has a 1,000kg payload and 3,500kg towing capacity and has also been designed with reliability, ease-of-repair and longevity in mind.

Munro said it had already received deposits for several MK_1s and will hand-build the vehicles next year. Pre-sale agreements have been reached with fleet operators in key industries, the manufacturer claimed.

Chief executive Russell Peterson said the idea for the vehicle came during a camping trip in the Highlands. 

“On the return journey, we stopped at a café in Braemar, where a bank of 50kW rapid chargers were sitting empty and unused,” he said.

“Parked up nearby was a large group of combustion-engine 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. We envisioned a vehicle with ultimate, go-anywhere, off-road ability, unrestricted by road-derived underpinnings that limit the all-terrain ability of vehicles such as the 4×4 pick-up trucks that have come to dominate the market.”

Munro will move to a new purpose-built factory in central Scotland in 2024, with production of 250 units a year expected at first and eventually expected to ramp up to 10 times that amount.

Image courtesy of Munro Vehicles