The revolutionary Munro all-electric 4×4 off-roader is to be made available to fleets across the US from 2023 on the back of a major new deal between two Glasgow-based companies.

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All-electric vehicle sales and leasing company Wyre has secured exclusive distribution rights of the Munro 4×4 utility EV – seen by some as the answer to the famous American ‘Humvee’.

And it’s targeting customers in major US utility markets, the oil fields of Texas, farmers in Florida, forestry businesses in Canada and the gold mines of Nevada.

Production and sales could reach over 3,000 vehicles by the end of 2025 – and Wyre says the unique Scottish all-terrain EV “has the opportunity to make it big” in the United States, including through “compelling” pricing of around £75,000 (some $88,000).

The deal is seen as significant for Wyre as it establishes what UK managing director Rebecca Hansen says is “a new and substantially important foothold” for its operations in both UK and US electric vehicle leasing markets.

She commented: “We see the Munro 4×4 EV as a serious and compelling opportunity for a wide range of our customers both nationally and internationally and one which will see us go from an initial order book of 50 vehicles next year to 500 in 2024 and around 2,500 in 2025.”

Hansen added: “One particular customer market we are targeting in the States is the huge electric utility sector where companies, we believe, need to show their customers that they are taking the provision of EVs seriously in their own fleets. Oil and gas industry customers are among others also on our radar.”

She added: “This an important win for us. The US is a massive market for this type of serious off-roader which Munro Vehicles intend to support with customers service facilities in the States.”

Wyre is also lobbying for new US tax regulations that could enable electric car salary sacrifice schemes like in the UK to be easily adopted into the market, significantly cutting EV costs.

The deal is seen as a major breakthrough for Scotland’s motor vehicle manufacturing following a gap of 41 years after the Chrysler Linwood plant closed.

Munro’s CEO Russ Peterson said: “North America is a key growth market for Munro, and we’re pleased to be able to partner with Wyre to realise our ambitions ahead of our original timeline. We’re dedicating half of our 2023 production to left-hand-drive Munro vehicles developed specifically for the US market, which Wyre will deliver to customers throughout the year.

“This opportunity demonstrates that Munro has the potential to be a global player in the automotive industry, with a product that is clearly desirable around the world. These vehicles and their owners will also feedback valuable data to our team as we develop our product further.”

The deal has been greeted as a tremendous achievement by the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland.

Jen Walls, director of EVA Scotland, continued: “The Munro 4×4 is a truly unique concept, bringing together the latest EV and off-road technologies. It’s simply an amazing vehicle and I’m sure the company can look forward to a high level of world sales success.”