Just a few months after revealing a pre-production model of its MK_1 Pickup, Scotland-based electric vehicle (EV) maker Munro Vehicles said it is kicking off a new equity crowdfunding round and it revealed details of design and technical enhancements for its all-electric 4×4 Series-M Pick-Up and Series-M Truck (SUV) models.

Seedrs, the global online investment platform, will launch Monro’s equity crowdfunding initiative, which starts on Oct. 3 and ends on Oct. 31. The investment funds raised will enable the company to capitalize on customer interest, deliver its first production vehicles, hire more employees, scale its premises, and expand resources with a goal of delivering production vehicles by late next year.

“We have already had significant interest from the investor community and are extending that offer further to entrepreneurs, private individuals, and customers,” said Munro CEO and Co-founder Russell Peterson. “We want to give them the opportunity to become part of the Munro story and take advantage of the unique solution our products provide and the significant imminent legislation-driven market opportunity the brand is poised to leverage.”

He says that Munro has paid reservations and sales agreements for eight pilot vehicles in 2023 and 221 production vehicles in 2024-2025.

“Our immediate priority is to deliver Series-M pilot vehicles to early-adopter customers to demonstrate our product-market fit,” said Peterson. “Our production spec deliveries will start mid-2024, and we plan to progressively ramp up production to 2500 vehicles per year by 2027. So, with a full two-year order book for both the Series-M Pick-Up and the Series-M Truck, Munro’s Seedrs campaign will offer compelling investment opportunities, expedite our growth plans, and unlock scales of economy.”

Munro’s Series-M vehicle platform is a four-wheel-drive EV that features the reliability and repairability of a full-time 4×4 mechanical drivetrain producing zero tailpipe emissions. The vehicle is offered in “standard” M170 170-kW and “high-power” M280 280-kW configurations and in Pick-Up and Truck (SUV) body styles.

Extensive field trials of the MK_1 pre-production model, which were recently completed in the Scottish Highlands for media and customers, resulted in numerous design and engineering upgrades. The EV now features a more streamlined and lighter front end than the pre-production model, allowing greater forward visibility. A change in body paneling structure now enables components to be more easily replaced, further bolstering the EV’s expected service life, according to Munro. At the rear of the vehicle, an exoskeleton mounted on the hard top on Utility specification models enables easy mounting of equipment, an attractive feature for customers operating in sectors Munro is targeting such as agriculture, construction, outdoor maintenance, disaster relief, rescue, mining, and defense.

“Revisiting how some of the major components were packaged allowed us to enhance the aesthetic and technical aspects of the Munro Series-M Truck and Pick-Up,” said Munro Head of Design, Ross Compton. “We have created an even more distinct design that builds upon the Munro name while introducing improvements to areas such as aerodynamic and cooling performance and efficiency.”

Munro has also added an adjustable steering column with steering wheel controls, plus a raft of ergonomic enhancements that include improvement of the seat rake and height adjustment, which the company says were based on customer feedback after testing of early demonstrator models. A suite of safety equipment, including airbags, ABS brakes, and stability/traction control, is now offered.

“We have introduced a more durable, longer-lasting LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery pack that provides a faster 30-minute, 130-kW rapid charging time,” said Ross Anderson, Munro Co-Founder and Head of Powertrain. “We have also significantly improved the thermal efficiency of the vehicle. Waste heat, scavenged from the drivetrain can now be used to heat the cabin. Combined with more effective sound-deadening measures, the Munro Series-M now makes for a more comfortable traveling experience, whether it is being driven on tarmac for a range of up to 200 miles or traversing the most challenging off-road terrain in the world that it was designed to conquer.”

The company says it has received more than 250 pre-orders for both the Truck and Pick-Up models, which are designed, engineered, and built in Great Britain. The Series-M vehicle is the first light vehicle to enter production in Scotland in over four decades.

Until last month, automakers in the UK had been working under a government mandate to end the production and sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in Great Britain by 2030. However, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak changed that deadline to 2035, bringing the UK in line with the European Union’s schedule. That change was met with disappointment from many automakers, including Munro.

“The Munro team is deeply concerned about the UK Government’s decision to roll back commitments to meet net-zero emissions targets and freeze the sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars by 2030. We believe that this decision squanders an opportunity for the UK to take a leadership position in transitioning to a cleaner, greener transport economy,” the company said.