Production of a new battery-power vehicle is due to begin in Scotland, writes JULENA DRUMI
It has been a long time since vehicle manufacturing was part of the Scottish industrial landscape.
Famous names such as Argyll Motors, Arrol-Johnson and Albion Motors are long gone. The site of the Linwood plant, which manufactured the Hillman Imp in the 1960s, is now occupied by the Phoenix business park.
However, the transition to vehicles powered by clean energy sources has encouraged a revival in vehicle manufacture.
Since production of the original Land Rover Defender drew to a close, there’s been a dearth of options for those wanting a basic off-roader.
Many fans of the Solihull-built truck were looking to Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Grenadier to replace the sturdy farmers’ favourite at a plant in Wales. But he’s opted for a site in France.
Now Scotland is getting in on the act. Russ Peterson and Ross Anderson who founded All Terrain All Electric in 2019 have begun construction of their low-volume Munro Mark-1 electric vehicle (EV), a battery-powered four-wheel drive, in Dalmarnock.
Rather than convert an existing vehicle, the Munro is based on the galvanised chassis and body of a 4×4 manufactured by Foers Engineering in Rotherham.
They say the Munro will be on the road by February when they plan to road test it around Europe for 150,000 miles. Production will begin in November 2021 and they will hit the market for an affordable £50,000.
Mr Anderson said they chose Glasgow because of its engineering heritage and Scotland’s ambitions to support electric vehicles.
The Mark-1 will have a driving range of 150 miles before it needs a charge, and is in the sights of the farming community who are eager to swap their gas-guzzlers for a cheap-to-run electric alternative.
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