Munro Vehicle has unveiled its first vehicle, the MunroMk_1. Designed, engineered, and built in Britain, the Munro MK_1 is the most capable all-electric 4×4, born off-road to navigate the most challenging terrain and operating for up to 16 hours on a single battery charge.
The Munro combines a state-of-the-art 280kW electric powertrain to ensure zero tailpipe emissions, with a proven, robust, simple-to-maintain mechanical driveline that delivers uncompromised off-road ability. The Munro’s unique 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.
Capable of effortlessly transporting a crew of five to the most rugged locations, accommodating an 1000kg payload and 3500kg towing capacity, the Munro represents the ultimate, sustainable, utilitarian, off-road workhorse. Intensely focused on off-highway performance, reliability, ease-of-repair and longevity, the Munro is engineered to provide owners and operators with decades of service.
Born off-road, born electric
The company was founded in 2019 by Russell Peterson and Ross Anderson, with Peterson assuming the CEO role and Anderson appointed Head of Powertrain. The idea, which is named after a Scottish mountain that exceeds a height of 3000 feet, came to Peterson and Anderson 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,” recalls Peterson. “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.”
Uncompromising powertrain choice
After extensively researching the market, Munro selected an axial flux electric motor.
“Axial flux electric motors are rarely used in the automotive mass-manufacture sector, where radial flux motors dominate,” explains Anderson. “Axial flux motors are quite challenging to manufacture at scale and require a high degree of hand assembly, and they also come at a price premium. However, an axial flux electric motor provides the perfect solution for our application.”
Choosing an axial flux motor gives significant critical advantages over a radial flux unit. Also known as a ‘pancake’ motor, the compact nature of the axial flux motor enables weight to be reduced by half – from 80kg to 40kg in the case of the Munro – compared with a radial flux motor. It also enables the unit to be located between the two front-seat occupants in front of the vehicle’s bulkhead. This results in a near 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, which enhances agility off-road.
Exemplary range and power
The Munro is offered with a choice of two electric motors, 220kW and 280kW, along with the option of two battery packs, 61kWh and 82kWh, affording an optimum range of up 190 miles This allows the Munro to operate off-road for up to 16 hours on a single battery charge.
The vehicle’s 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. A fully integrated heat pump-based thermal management system bolsters efficiency, and the Munro’s battery pack is guaranteed to deliver 80 per cent of its original energy capacity for at least eight years and 100,000 miles.
Engineered for best-in-class off-road ability
Munro was determined to equip the vehicle with a state-of-the-art electric powertrain. But at no point did company founders Peterson and Anderson consider using a ‘skateboard’ chassis with two electric motors, one to drive each set of wheels. Instead, the priority was to equip the Munro with a single, central-mounted electric motor providing power to a robust, proven and easily maintained mechanical four-wheel-drive system.
A product of its environment
The Munro MK_1 launch model is the third iteration of the project. The Munro was developed in the Scottish terrain from which it takes its name. Before its global unveil, the vehicle was subjected to an intensive two-year test programme, tackling some of Scotland’s most demanding conditions in all weathers.
Rugged, safe, and spacious
The Munro utilises a structural aluminium body-on-frame design, with the body mounted to the chassis at eight points. To ensure optimum suitability for customers’ needs, Munro offers a choice of mounting options. Rubber mounts reduce NVH on the road and provide a more comfortable ride, while solid aluminium spacers give greater rigidity and strength to accommodate heavy payloads.
Field-proven practicality
Most OEMs configure their vehicles’ equipment and features in a studio’s cosy comfort. But the mission-focussed specification of the Munro has been developed from hard lessons learnt over long hours in all weathers, in fields, on moors and mountains.
Form follows function
The Munro MK_1 is proof of the concept that if a vehicle does the job, then it will look the part. Endowed with a clear, strong, unique identity, the Munro sits visually apart from any other classic or contemporary vehicle in the sector. And while there is no doubting the Munro’s utilitarian nature, it is also an undeniably handsome and exceptionally well-proportioned vehicle.
