Munro, the Scottish maker of all electric 4×4 utility vehicles, is reported to be planning a new UK manufacturing plant from 2027. The story matters because Scotland’s industrial transition will not be built only from consumer cars and software, but from hard working vehicles for mining, defence, construction, utilities and infrastructure.
Scottish electric vehicle maker Munro is planning a new UK manufacturing plant from 2027 as it looks to scale production for industrial customers, according to the Financial Times.
The Glasgow based company makes all electric 4×4 utility vehicles designed for demanding environments rather than ordinary consumer motoring. Its Series M platform is aimed at sectors where vehicles are expected to work off road, carry equipment, survive harsh conditions and replace diesel machines used in mining, defence, construction, agriculture, utilities and infrastructure.
The Financial Times reported that Avinash Rugoobur, who has been appointed Munro’s chief executive, said the company would aim to start building a UK plant from 2027 to meet domestic demand from mining, defence and construction customers. Rugoobur previously held senior roles at General Motors and the electric van company Arrival.
Munro currently manufactures vehicles in Scotland on a small scale. The FT reported that the company makes dozens of vehicles annually and aims to increase output to hundreds next year and eventually thousands. That would mark a substantial step for a company still operating in the difficult territory between start up promise and industrial scale.
The company describes itself as a Scottish manufacturer of high performance, all electric 4x4s built for demanding environments. Its technical material says the Series M uses a bespoke platform designed around durability and off road capability, including coil sprung live axles and optional differential locks to maintain traction and ground clearance on uneven ground.
That places Munro in a different part of the electric vehicle debate from the mass market passenger car. Much of the public discussion around EVs has focused on private motorists, charging points, range anxiety and the future of the family car. Munro’s argument is more industrial. It is asking whether electric vehicles can replace diesel workhorses in places where reliability, payload, maintenance, traction and operating life matter more than showroom polish.
Scotland’s transition will depend heavily on the electrification of practical sectors: construction, ports, estates, farms, forestry, grid maintenance, renewables operations, emergency response, defence sites and remote infrastructure. Those sectors do not need delicate green symbolism. They need machines that work in mud, weather and rough ground.
Munro has already attracted orders and investor attention. BusinessGreen reported in 2025 that the company had preliminary orders for almost 250 specialist electric 4×4 vehicles, with an order book worth more than £17m through to 2027. Other EV industry reporting said the company had delivered four M Series vehicles and had preliminary orders for 246 additional builds, with orders valued at £17.39m.
The company has also been expanding production ambitions. Automotive Manufacturing Solutions reported in October 2025 that Munro had secured £2m in funding to expand production of its M Series vehicles in Glasgow, backed by Elbow Beach, with the aim of meeting demand from mining, defence and construction and creating up to 300 jobs in Scotland.
Those figures should be treated carefully. Early stage vehicle companies often report order books, production targets and job ambitions that still have to survive the realities of manufacturing: capital, supply chains, certification, cash flow, customer delivery, warranty, quality control and market timing. Britain has seen more than one electric vehicle venture discover that building vehicles is harder than presenting them.
That is precisely why Munro is worth watching. If it succeeds, it could represent the kind of industrial transition Scotland says it wants: design, engineering, assembly, specialist manufacturing and exportable products connected to the decarbonisation of real work. If it struggles, it will show again how difficult it is for smaller manufacturers to scale in a country with high energy costs, limited automotive supply chain depth and fierce international competition.
There is also a strategic defence and infrastructure dimension. The FT says Munro is targeting demand from sectors including defence. Previous reporting and company material have pointed to the M Series as a possible zero emission replacement in areas where diesel off road fleets are currently used. Defence, mining, utilities and construction customers tend to need rugged vehicles that can be customised, repaired and kept in service for long periods. That could suit a smaller specialist manufacturer better than a mass market EV company trying to sell the same platform to everyone.
Diesel work vehicles operate in mines, estates, construction sites, industrial compounds, service roads, forests and remote areas. Replacing some of them with electric alternatives could reduce local emissions, noise and fuel costs, particularly where vehicles return to base and can be charged predictably. The economics will depend on purchase price, battery durability, charging infrastructure, maintenance costs and the intensity of use.
Munro must persuade industrial buyers that an electric 4×4 can do the work, last long enough, be repaired efficiently and make financial sense over its operating life. That is a hard market.
SOURCES
Financial Times, “Scottish EV start-up plans new UK plant in 2027”, 2 June 2026
Munro Vehicles, official website
Munro Vehicles, technical specifications for Series M platform
BusinessGreen, “Electric 4×4 vehicle specialist Munro reveals £17m order book”, 2025
Autocar, “Scottish 4×4 firm Munro eyes new UK factory in major expansion”, 2 June 2026
Just Auto, “Scottish EV firm Munro plans UK factory for 2027”, 3 June 2026
Emobility Engineering, “Munro Series M: rugged modular 4×4 utility EV platform”, 2025
