Munro Vehicles produces all-electric, all-terrain vehicles and is the only mass-production automaker in Scotland. It has something to contribute to the current Brownian motion of the automobile industry. Their MK 1 electric vehicle has a unique model that the Scots refer to as “Mountain Rescue.”
The 4×4 is developed specifically to meet the demands of first responders for quick interventions in difficult and remote locations.
The battery-powered Munro includes all the base model’s features in addition to roof-mounted blue lights, a compartment wide enough to fit a stretcher, and space for four people, including the driver and three passengers, along with their belongings.
Most gearheads probably aren’t familiar with the name Munro, if they are at all familiar with it all, and the main reason for this is that the automaker is still crawling.
The MK 1 was the first product the company released, and it did so in December. The Scottish business boasts that its sole model is the “most capable all-electric 4×4 in the world.”
As we look at it, two things stand out right away: first, it seems to have been created using only a try-square and a razor for design, engineering, and construction. Elon Musk’s sharply inclined all-road vehicle suddenly appears to be a masterwork of fluid dynamics when placed next to a Cybertruck.
Put on a welder’s mask to protect your eyesight while admiring the brutishly angular Designs as you scroll through the photos. The startlingly edgy Highlander resembles a three-year-old’s attempt at drawing a car, which is why it’s surprisingly cool.
The high stance of the object is its second distinguishing trait; it comes naturally for a machine designed to travel everywhere, regardless of the weather, season, surface, or location.
A mind-blowing 84-degree approach angle is provided to the driver by the incredibly small front overhang. Few off-roaders can claim that Performance, which is just a finger shy of outright vertical.
Because of the Munro’s short wheelbase of 3,255 mm, the departure angle is well above the industry average at 51 degrees, while the break-over restriction is 32 degrees (128.1 inches). The all-electric off-road is only 4,590 mm (180.7 inches) long, partly because of its distinctive powertrain layout.
The Scots decided to install one mildly powerful electric motor in the middle of the car, directly between the front seats, rather than focusing on hypercars-touting horsepower statistics and a one-to-one parity between axle count and the number of electric motors.
Practically, the Munro is the only car on our beloved Planet Rotor that is more mid-engine (or, perhaps a more accurate term for EVs, mid-motored) than it. One of the reasons the BEV 4×4 achieves the perfect 50:50 weight distribution ratio is this.
The axial flux rotor delivers 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) and 220 kW (295 hp/300 PS) to a reliable analog mechanical four-wheel-drive system. There is a cheaper alternative to the pricey Munro motor with 280 kW/375 hp/381 PS and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft).
To save weight and space (only 40 kg), Munro engineers chose the more expensive and resource-intensive axial motor (88 lbs). The low RPM range of the square-looking 4×4 engine is another important benefit.
A reduction drive unit is pointless since Munro’s “pancake” axial motor rotates at a speed of between 5,000 and 8,000 revolutions per minute.
The two-speed transfer case receives all of the motor’s electric torque directly from the motor. The wheels always receive an equal distribution of torque thanks to three locking diffs, one on the center axle and one on each live axle.
That’s right, torque vectoring evangelists. Despite smug smiles, it is asserted that the Munro is a rock-crawling performer who would leave a Land Rover Defender or a Jeep Gladiator green with jealousy. This EV’s body is 18.9 inches or 480 millimeters above the ground at its lowest point.
The actual ground clearance, however, is significantly less than that estimate; yet, the manufacturer, situated in Scotland, doesn’t provide the precise figure on their website.
Three trim levels are available for the Scottish BEV: Utility, Range, and Performance. The entry-level model costs £59,994 ($74,443 at the exchange rate of September 2023), while the pricey mid-range model costs £71,994 ($89,333). The beginning price of the high-end model, which is £83,994 ($104,223), exceeds $100,000.
The three Munro versions share the two powertrain and battery pack options: the Performance has a 280-kW motor, while the Utility and Range both have a 220-kW motor. The first two rely on a modular battery pack of 61.2/56.3 kWh (gross/usable).
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide cells operate at 384.8 volts with liquid cooling. The pricey Munro has an energy storage capacity of 82.4/75.8 kWh and a nominal voltage rating of 388.5 V.
A 100+ kWh charger can fully recharge this BEV in 36 minutes at a maximum DC charge rate of 94 kW. Since the AC charging rate is 22 kWh, operating from 15 to 100% takes three hours. While towing a 3,500 kg (7716 lb.) braked trailer, the range drops from a maximum of 190 miles (306 km) under ideal conditions to 85.5 miles (137.5 km).
The figures apply to the stronger motor and battery; with less powerful equipment, ideal road autonomy is only 227 kilometers (141 miles) long.
The best time to accelerate from zero to sixty-two miles per hour (kilometers per hour) in a boulder-climbing Munro is 4.9 seconds, and the top speed is eighty-nine kilometers per hour (kph). Another unconventional aspect of this boxy off-road machine is its 50-year expected lifespan of half a century.
Therefore, the frame is constructed of 5 mm thick steel, provided that normal upkeep and consistent upgrades are carried out.