Munro teases sleeker production version of Series-M 4×4 EV, begins equity crowdfunding
Young, Scottish automaker Munro Vehicles has come a long way in its short tenure, hoping to deliver two versions of its 4×4 EV truck to customers soon. Today, the company has unveiled an upgraded production version of the M-Series truck, but is asking for a hefty sum via a crowdfunding campaign to scale production and initiate first deliveries of its packed order book.
Glasgow, Scotland’s Munro Vehicles is a new automaker taking a somewhat unique approach to EVs – going large with multi-ton 4×4 trucks. Less than five years old, Munro remains in its infancy, but has shown promise as a young British startup, hitting milestones along the way.
Today’s announcement regarding Munro’s M-Series EVs is an entire echelon above the rugged 2.7-ton, Humvee-inspired 4×4 we first got eyes on a mere year ago. Since then, we’ve seen Munro launch its flagship model – the MK 1 truck, which has been followed by a pickup version and most recently, as rugged “Mountain Rescue Edition.”
Munro continues to work toward fulfilling its prophecy of becoming the first vehicle manufacturer to reach scaled production in Scotland since 1981. The plan has always been to start slow and ramp up from there, but Munro has seen such an enormous appetite for its 4×4 EVs that its now looking to expedite the expansion progress in the UK.
Today, the company teased first images of the production ready MK-Series truck and its asking the public for nearly $2 million in equity crowdfunding to do so.
Munro asks for funding to deliver first 4×4 EVs, expand
This morning in Glasgow, Munro Vehicles shared the first three images of its production-intent MK-Series seen above – and it’s a helluva on upgrade compared to what we first saw a year ago. It’s also a lot more polished than the aforementioned MK 1 pre-production model.
If and when it makes its debut to customers, the M-Series EVs will come as either a truck or pickup, each complete with full-time 4×4 electric drivetrains. Furthermore, future customers will get to choose between to output levels – the “standard” M170 (170 kW) or the “high-power” M280 (280 kW).
The production-intent design features a sleeker, lighter front end, revamped body paneling that can be replaced more easily (especially when customers take these monsters off-roading), and an ‘exoskeleton’ that can be mounted on the hard top of utility specification models that allows an easy storage of equipment. Especially for some of the customer segments Munro says it is targeting, including agriculture, construction, disaster relief, mining, and defense.
Munro says it has also introduced more durable LFP battery packs that enable charge rates up to 130 kW, allowing for 30-minute charges on a DCFC, as well as a heat pump to more efficiently warm the EV’s cabin. The production version of Munro’s new 4×4 EV garnered 200 miles of range driving on a tarmac.
With 250 orders in place and production slots filled for the next two years, Munro also shared it is kicking off an equity crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. The Scottish automaker is requesting £1.5 million ($1.82 million) to fulfill its two-year order book, hire more staff, scale its production facilities in Scotland, and expand its available resources.
Munro cofounder and CEO Russell Peterson spoke at length about the company’s progress and its goals for the future following the funding campaign:
We have already had significant interest from the investor community and are extending that offer further to entrepreneurs, private individuals, and customers. 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.
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. Our production spec deliveries will start mid-2024, and we plan to progressively ramp up production to 2,500 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 crowdfunding campaign is now underway on Seedrs and runs through October 31, 2023.
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On today’s exciting episode of Quick Charge, we don’t even mention “you know who,” focusing instead on EV news from Rivian, Lucid, Nissan, Ford, and what it takes to make a MAN in the heavy truck space. Check it out!
Sure, Nissan is pushing back production estimates on its yet-to-begin-production Nissan LEAF and Ford’s EV sales were down significantly in Q2, but there’s more to the story than the “Faux News” crowd would have you believe. Plus: some new electric success stories from Porsche and a disappointing (but still cool) dive into some new home backup battery tech.
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he 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Battery electric cars sold today in Europe produce 73% less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than gas cars, even when factoring in production, according to new research from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That’s a big improvement from 2021, when the gap was 59%.
Meanwhile, hybrids and plug-in hybrids haven’t made much progress. The study confirms what clean transportation advocates have been saying for years: If Europe wants to seriously slash emissions from its dirtiest mode of transport – ICE passenger cars, which pump out nearly 75% of the sector’s pollution – it needs to go all-in on battery EVs.
“Battery electric cars in Europe are getting cleaner faster than we expected and outperform all other technologies, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids,” said ICCT researcher Dr. Marta Negri. Credit the continent’s rapid shift to renewables and the higher energy efficiency of EVs.
The makeup of the EU’s power grid is changing fast. By 2025, renewables are expected to generate 56% of Europe’s electricity, up from 38% in 2020. And that’s just the beginning: the share could hit 86% by 2045. Since cars bought today could still be on the road two decades from now, the growing use of clean electricity will only boost EVs’ climate benefits over time.
Gas-powered cars, on the other hand, will stay mostly tied to fossil fuels as the cost and availability of biofuels and e-fuels are still uncertain.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids only cut lifetime emissions by 20% and 30%, respectively, compared to gas cars. That’s partly because plug-in hybrids tend to run on gas more than expected. So while hybrids aren’t useless, they’re just not good enough if we’re serious about climate goals.
Countering EV myths with hard data
There’s been a lot of noise lately about whether EVs are really that green. The ICCT study takes aim at the bad data and misleading claims floating around, like ignoring how the grid gets cleaner over time or using unrealistic gas mileage figures.
It’s true that manufacturing EVs creates more emissions upfront – about 40% more than making a gas car, mostly due to the battery. But EVs make up for it quickly: that extra emissions load is usually wiped out after about 17,000 km (10,563 miles) of driving, which most drivers hit in a year or two.
“We’ve recently seen auto industry leaders misrepresenting the emissions math on hybrids,” said Dr. Georg Bieker, senior researcher at the ICCT. “But life-cycle analysis is not a choose-your-own-adventure exercise.”
ICCT’s new analysis includes emissions from vehicle and battery production and recycling, fuel and electricity production, and fuel consumption and maintenance. It even adjusts for how the electricity mix will change in the coming years – a key detail when measuring plug-in hybrid performance.
Read more: Volkswagen’s 47% BEV sales jump includes a 24% boost in the US
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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![Here's our closest look at the Kia EV2 caught testing in the Alps [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/Kia-EV2-closest-look.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The EV2 may be Kia’s smallest electric vehicle, but it has a big presence on the road. Kia promises it won’t feel so small when you’re inside, thanks to clever storage and flexible seating. After a prototype was spotted testing in the Alps, we are getting our closest look at the Kia EV2 so far.
Kia EV2 spotted in the Alps offers our closest look yet
Kia first unveiled the Concept EV2 during its 2025 EV Day event (see our recap of the event) in April, a preview of its upcoming entry-level electric SUV.
Despite its small size, Kia claims it will “redefine urban electric mobility” with new innovative features and more. Kia has yet to say exactly how big it will be, but given it will sit below the EV3, it’s expected to be around 4,000 mm (157″) in length. The EV3 is 4,300 mm (169.3″) in length.
Looking at it from the side, it sits much higher than you’d expect, similar to Kia’s larger EV9. During an exclusive event at Milan Design Week in April, Kia gave a sneak peek of the interior.
Kia said the interior is inspired by a “picnic in the city,” or in other words, a retreat from the busy city life. With a flat-floor design and flexible seating, you can quite literally have a picnic in the city.
Although we’ve seen the EV2 out in public testing a few times, a new video provides the closest look at Kia’s upcoming electric SUV.
The video, courtesy of CarSpyMedia, shows an EV2 prototype testing in the Alps with European license plates. There’s also a “Testfahrt” sticker on the back, which translates to “Test Car” in German.
As the prototype drives by, you can get a good look at it from all angles. Like in past sightings, the front features stacked vertical headlights with Kia’s signature Star Map lighting. Even the rear lights appear to be identical to those of the concept.
The interior will feature Kia’s next-gen ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ instrument clusters and infotainment screens in a curved panoramic display. Depending on the model, it could also include an added 5.3″ climate control screen.
Last month, a crossover coupe-like model was spotted on a car carrier in Korea, hinting at a new variant. The new model featured a design similar to that of the Genesis GV60.
Kia’s CEO, Ho Sung Song, also recently told Autocar that a smaller, more affordable EV was in the works to sit below the EV2. Song said the new EV, priced under €25,000 ($30,000), was “one area we are studying and developing.”
With the EV4 and EV5 launching this year, followed by the EV2 in 2026, it could be closer toward the end of the decade before we see it hit the market. Next-gen EV6 and EV9 models are also due out around then.
The Kia EV2 is set to launch in Europe and other global regions in 2026. Unfortunately, it’s not expected to make the trip to the US.
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