After getting its burly MK-1 e-4WD ready for order in late 2022, Scottish startup Munro Vehicles is back with an all-new special edition. It developed the Mountain Rescue edition after intensive discussions with Scottish, English and Welsh mountain rescue teams and firefighting units, stripping out rear seats for an expanded load area ready to carry lifesaving tools over remote unimproved terrain.
It doesn't take too much of an imagination to envision the Munro MK_1 grinding out torque as it traverses up a slick hillside or weaves its way through dense forest on a rescue mission. The hard-nosed MK_1 was quite literally born for the task, conceived after off-road struggles in an ICE vehicle.
The MK_1 dispenses with the multi-motor AWD systems common on other all-electric four-wheelers and AWD cars, moving forward with a single axial flux motor channeling the entirety of its 375 peak horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque through a mechanical 4WD with two-speed transfer case and center differential lock. That gets all four wheels involved, and drivers can then switch the wheels on each axle into lockstep via available front and rear differential locks.
Neither slippery ground nor large bumps will hamper the Munro's tires from keeping the truck rolling. An off-road competition-level coil-over suspension puts 19 inches (48 cm) of air between the ground and the solid axles and galvanized chassis, helping the MK_1 wade comfortably through waters as deep as 31.5 inches (80 cm).
Suffice to say, Munro didn't need to do too much reworking to turn the MK_1 into an all-out search-and-rescue workhorse, identifying the main additive needed as more cargo space. In order to fit in a stretcher and other rescue gear, it pulls out two of the folding, removable rear seats, maintaining the ability to seat three people while offering more load space through the swing-out tailgate.
Munro also enhances visibility with a set of blue exterior lights and bright-yellow striping. The yellow springs behind the roughshod tires add to a glow-up completed by "mountain rescue" badging around the body.
"We have consulted with multiple mountain rescue teams to best understand their unique demands for an all-terrain stretcher bearing vehicle capable of crossing the toughest of terrain," said Munro CEO and cofounder Russell Peterson in this week's announcement. "The fact the MK_1 is such an adaptable platform is testament to the purity of the design, uncluttered by peripheries. Our no-nonsense vehicles are suited to the toughest of jobs in the harshest of terrains."
For those of us not heading up a mountain rescue team, Munro offers the MK_1 in both SUV and pickup truck styles. Each model is also available in buyer's choice of "range," "utility" or "performance" powertrain spec. The 295-hp range variant comes with an 82.4-kWh battery pack that delivers up to 190 miles (306 km) of range and fast-charges from 15 to 80 percent in roughly 36 minutes. The entry level utility model has the same 295-hp motor, powered by a smaller 61.2-kWh battery pack for a total of 141 miles (227 km). The fun-loving performance version wires the more potent 375-hp motor to the 82.4-kWh battery for a 4.9-second 0-60 mph run, uprated 3,500-kg (7,700-lb) towing capability (from 2,500 kg/5,500 lb) and up to 190 miles of range.
MK_1 pricing starts at £59,994 (approx. US$74,000), including VAT. Munro is taking orders now for 2024 delivery.
Source: Munro Vehicles