The first car to be mass produced in Scotland in forty years will be an electric off-road vehicle.
The Chrysler factory at Linwood, close to Paisley, shut down in 1981, and the Munro MK 1 will be the first vehicle to commence mass production in Scotland.
Orders for Munro Vehicles’ new 44 are now trickling in from all around the world. Delivery of the Munro is anticipated to start in 2023.
The vehicle, which will start at around £60,000, has a 16-hour driving range on a single battery charge.
The new facility is anticipated to eventually produce 2,500 automobiles annually.
Munro Vehicles co-founders Ross Anderson, head of powertrain, and Russell Peterson, who is currently the CEO, had the idea for the vehicle.
They developed the concept for an electric 44 when camping in the Highlands because the vehicle they were using had trouble negotiating the steep inclines.
According to Mr. Peterson, “We realised there was a need 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.”
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