Scottish Electrification
Munro secures £2 funding to scale Scottish EV production
Munro EV has secured £2m funding to expand production of its M-Series electric 4x4s in Glasgow. Backed by Elbow Beach, the company aims to meet rising demand from mining, defence and construction while creating 300 jobs in Scotland.
In an sector dominated by electrified passenger cars, the off-road commercial market has remained a stubborn diesel stronghold. Mining alone accounts for up to 7% of global emissions, according to McKinsey, yet the vehicles that underpin operations in mining, defence and construction have seen little progress towards decarbonisation.
Glasgow-based Munro EV intends to change that. The company has secured £2 million ($2.7m) in fresh funding from existing investor Elbow Beach and other parties to scale production of its M-Series vehicles. Unlike lifestyle off-roaders adapted for heavy use, the Munro has been designed from the ground up as an electric 4X4 for harsh environments.
Russel Peterson, Co-founder and CEO of Munro EV, said: “This investment validates the critical need for zero-emission solutions in heavy industry. Mining companies, defence interests and construction firms are actively seeking alternatives to diesel-powered vehicles, both to meet sustainability targets and reduce operational costs. The M-Series delivers on both fronts without compromising the performance these industries demand.”
Scaling production in Scotland
The new funding will be channelled into expanding Munro’s Glasgow production facility, recruiting engineers and assembly staff, developing industry-specific vehicle configurations, and strengthening its sales and service network.
Munro has already secured preliminary customer orders for 246 vehicles worth £17,388,890 ($23.2m). Fulfilling these contracts is expected to create up to 300 new manufacturing jobs in Scotland. The company aims to reach a production capacity of 5,000 vehicles annually within six years.
Early deliveries have already been made to Gleneagles Hotel and Denbighshire Council, signalling market appetite beyond heavy industry.
JP, Co-founder and CEO of Elbow Beach, said: “Elbow Beach is proud to support Munro, a standout example of Scottish advanced manufacturing. Through its focused approach, Munro is delivering a capital-light solution that accelerates decarbonisation while driving meaningful commercial benefits for the real economy.”
Engineering for mission-critical use
The M-Series combines a 1,000kg payload with a real-world range of over 170 miles per charge. These specifications allow it to handle the extremes of mining sites, military operations and construction projects, where reliability and safety cannot be compromised.
Peterson continued: “We provide a unique combination of capability, durability and sustainability which solves decarbonisation and vehicle role issues for a number of sectors. The UK Ministry of Defence plans to procure replacements for the Land Rover and Pinzgauer vehicles in its fleet under the Land Mobility Strategy and the Munro M-Series can meet those requirements while being more capable, quieter and cleaner.
"This is not a lifestyle vehicle that operators have to add robustness to with aftermarket parts or upgrade kits, this is a vehicle built from the ground up to be an off-road electric vehicle that will be operated in harsh environments.”
Scotland’s sole vehicle production firm designs to endure
Founded in 2019 by Peterson and Ross Anderson, Munro remains Scotland’s only production car company. Its vehicles are offered in Utility, Truck and Chassis variants, with a design ethos that emphasises simplicity and low maintenance costs. By using existing components wherever possible, Munro ensures lower total cost of ownership while maximising uptime.
The carmaker positions itself as more than a niche EV maker. Like the Scottish mountains it is named after, the Munro has, according to the company, been engineered to last a lifetime. Born electric and off-road, it is intended to both endure and redefine expectations of electric vehicles in unforgiving terrain.
Strategic backing for clean industry
Elbow Beach, one of the UK’s most active seed investors in climate technologies, has become a consistent backer of Munro’s ambitions. Its strategy targets pioneers whose technologies promise industrial productivity gains while advancing climate goals.
For Munro, the partnership offers both credibility and capital at a moment when industries are under intensifying scrutiny to eliminate emissions. The result may be that the most rugged corners of the economy, long immune to electrification, finally begin to shift.
