The Next Big EV Upgrade Isn’t a Motor — It’s Software-Defined Audio
Software-defined audio in cars is moving from buzzword to bill of materials — and Munro just heard it firsthand. In a QNX-powered demo vehicle, the team experienced Dolby Atmos spatial mixes, precisely managed alerts, and seamless handoffs between music, phone, and safety sounds. The system orchestrated every channel through software integrated directly with the vehicle’s […]
Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRLs)
How Munro & Associates Helped Shape the Future of Defense Acquisition Introduction: Why TRL and MRL Matter When a company develops advanced technology—especially for defense applications—the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) must evaluate not only whether the technology works in principle but also whether it can be manufactured at scale. Two structured frameworks exist for […]
Reengineering Golf Carts for Profit and Performance
If you want a concise case study in lean automotive engineering, look at how Munro optimized the Club Car design. In this project, Munro & Associates used teardown analysis, customer feedback, and manufacturing-focused design to reinvent both the golf cart platform and its business model — lessons that apply directly to EV design and other […]
The F1 Racing Car Engine and EV Innovation
The fascination with an F1 racing car engine goes beyond sheer horsepower. For engineers, investors, and enthusiasts, the Formula One power unit represents the pinnacle of efficiency, performance, and lean design. Munro’s work in EV teardown analysis shows that many of the same principles driving success in motorsport are already reshaping electric vehicle technology today. […]
Mercedes Electric G-Wagon Interior: Luxury Where It Counts, Compromises Where It Doesn’t
For engineers and investors curious about where luxury meets utility in an off-road EV, the Mercedes Electric G-Wagon interior offers a case study in deliberate choices. In a recent Munro walkthrough, the team scrutinized materials, ergonomics, and manufacturing tells that separate true luxury from cosmetic flourish — and where off-road cues clash with daily usability. […]
Michigan’s Manufacturing Moment: A Practical Roadmap From the Shop Floor to Policy
Michigan Manufacturing Policy Roadmap appears often in policy talk, but it needs teeth on the ground. At Munro, that means pairing teardown-grade rigor with pragmatic funding paths so Michigan manufacturers — from EV suppliers to defense integrators — can prototype, validate, and scale faster. In a recent Munro Defense conversation with Congresswoman Haley Stevens and […]
Arc Cooling, Potted Brains: Inside the EGO 56V Battery
What really powers a cordless mower? Munro engineers tear down the EGO 56V battery pack to find out. The team’s review reveals how its cells, cooling channels, and potted BMS manage performance. Its a teardown that highlights the trade-offs behind the design — balancing cost with reliability, and usability with long-term durability. The Pack at […]
EV Oil Pump Trade-Offs: Cost vs. Control
Engineering teams wrestling with EV oil pump trade-offs face a classic decision: mechanical simplicity versus electric controllability. Recent Munro teardown work highlights how this choice shapes cost, efficiency, and design risk in modern drive units — and why the optimal answer in 2025 may differ from what bills of materials suggested a decade ago. Why […]
Floating Offshore Wind Power: From Prototype to Gigawatt Scale
Floating offshore wind power is moving from prototypes to factory rhythm, and Munro readers care about how designs scale, where costs hide, and which markets will lead. Principle Power’s Aaron Smith walked through that trajectory — from semi-submersible WindFloat foundations to grid export and environmental design — and the takeaways line up with Munro’s focus […]
Inside the Future of EV Batteries
The future of EV batteries is shaped by real tradeoffs, not hype. In a recent Munro discussion, engineers compared chemistries, pack architectures, and manufacturing methods with an eye toward cost, reliability, and scale — exactly the lens Munro readers value. In this article, we distill those points into practical takeaways for engineers, EV enthusiasts, and […]