Off-roader set to be first mass-produced car built in Scotland for 40 years

An electric, off-road vehicle intended to go anywhere is set to become the first car to be mass-produced in Scotland for 40 years.

The Munro MK_1 will be the first car to enter mass production in Scotland since the Chrysler factory in Linwood, near Paisley, closed in 1981.

The new 4×4, being built by Munro Vehicles, already has orders coming in from around the globe. Deliveries of the Munro are expected to commence in 2023.

The car, which will be priced from about £60,000, can run for up to 16 hours on a single battery charge.

The company is hoping to increase capacity when it moves from its current headquarters in East Kilbride to a purpose-built factory in central Scotland, where production will increase to more than 250 cars per year initially, leading to the creation of 300 new jobs.

It is hoped the new site will eventually produce 2,500 vehicles per year.

The idea for the car came from Munro Vehicles co-founders Russell Peterson, now the CEO, and Ross Anderson, Head of Powertrain.

The pair were on a camping trip in the Highlands, when the car they were driving was struggling with the steep climbs and came up with the idea of an electric 4×4.

Mr Peterson said: “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.”

Hugh Roberts, director of Far by Four off-road driving training company, is assisting in the development of the Munro.

He said: “The Munro EV has always impressed me. Straight away, the vehicle was competent off-road and now with the benefit of ongoing testing and development the Munro is a very polished performer.

“A combination of electric torque, supple suspension and a rigid chassis makes it an easy vehicle to place confidently without the need for excessive speed to clear technical terrain.”