The Fering Pioneer is the brainchild of ex-Ferrari and McLaren engineer Ben Scott-Geddes, who has repurposed supercar and racing technology to create an off-road vehicle which is compact, lightweight and unusually efficient.

The company has completed the first phase of prototype testing and has now secured funding for phase two. This will allow two further prototypes to be built, which will be made to the specifications of Fering’s first confirmed customers.

After months of testing at the famous Millbrook Proving Ground, mainly in the gruelling off road and military test areas, the Pioneer Prototype #1 has proved it is exceptionally capable.

Despite its imposing appearance, the Pioneer is no larger in any direction than a typical delivery van and is shorter than a Ford Mondeo Estate. It also weighs the same as a family hatchback and less than half the figures for some electric and hybrid 4x4s.

Power to the axles is provided solely by two electric motors – unusual for an off-road vehicle. But they are perfectly suited to the task, providing instant torque, controllability, and reliability. They provide a total of 800Nm of torque; far more than a comparable diesel 4×4.

A battery provides an electric-only range of around 50 miles. The Pioneer’s range extender generator is then available to give ability to keep going to the end of your adventure. The powerpacks are designed to survive in extreme temperatures. Customers will be able to specify their vehicles to be configured with different combinations of battery pack and range extender fuel to cater for local conditions and operational needs.

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The Munro combines a 280kW electric powertrain with a robust and simple-to-maintain mechanical driveline for off-road ability. It is aimed at sectors including construction, agriculture, mining, environmental, emergency rescue, remote infrastructure maintenance, and recreation.

Capable of transporting a crew of five to the most rugged locations, with a 1,000kg payload and 3,500kg towing capacity. Priced from £49,995 (+VAT) in five-door, five-seat, 130” wheelbase Utility guise, Munro has already received deposits for several Munro MK_1s that it will hand-build next year. Orders have come from locations across the globe including the UK, Switzerland, St Lucia, and Dubai.

In 2024, Munro will expand from its current headquarters in East Kilbride to a new purpose-built factory in central Scotland, where production will scale to more than 250 units per year, leading to the creation of 300 new jobs. The new site will eventually produce 2,500 vehicles per annum.  Munro is the first automotive manufacturer to build cars at scale in Scotland since Peugeot-Talbot closed its Linwood plant in 1981, which the Rootes Group established in 1963.

The Munro is offered with a choice of two electric motors, 220kW and 280kW, along with the option of two battery packs, 61kWh and 82kWh, delivering a range of up 190 miles or up to 16 hours on a single battery charge.

Every Munro is geared for torque, with a top speed of 80mph, and the 280kW Performance version can surge to 62mph in a mere 4.9 seconds. However, the focus of the vehicle is firmly on utility, workability, and superior off-road drivability, as Anderson reiterates.

“Peak torque of 700Nm is available up to 50mph, which ensures excellent response off-road. It also means the Munro can effortlessly tow a braked trailer weight of up to 3500kg. Whether it’s a mini digger, a power generator or livestock that needs transporting, the Munro makes light work of it.”

Off-road the vehicle offers 480mm ground clearance, and the ability to wade through water up to a depth of 800mm. 84° and 51° approach and departure angles, plus a 148° ramp breakover angle, give the Munro the ability to cope effortlessly with steep hills, heavily rutted terrain, craters and boulders. It is, quite simply, the most capable production electric 4×4 on the planet.

The Munro sits on a galvanised steel ladder chassis, designed, engineered, and built at the company’s HQ. Constructed with 5mm thick steel – compared with 1.5mm thick steel used in many 4X4s – the Munro’s chassis has been developed to provide the ultimate combination of strength, robustness, and ease of repairability.

Munro will select a series of agents to market the Munro but will not establish a dealer network. Each vehicle comes with a full five-year/100,000-mile warranty.

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More details to follow.

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