British-based Ineos Automotive, the neophyte 4×4 manufacturer founded by Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliff, is mulling a battery-electric SUV.
This is a reversal of the long-held belief that a fuel-cell variant would be the best alt-fuel version of the Ineos Grenadier, its forthcoming SUV whose gestalt owes much to the previous-generation Land Rover Defender. The shift in strategy was revealed in a report in Automotive News
An about-face on alt fuels
At a meeting with company officials in May 2021, officials told TheDetroitBureau.com the company’s stance on alternate fuels was unequivocal: hydrogen fuel cells, not batteries, would power the electrified variant of their SUV.
“That for us is a much more viable option then battery electric,” Clark said. “Think about the nature and the purpose of this vehicle to truly take you off the grid. You don’t want to be worrying about being tethered to a charging network and mega-range anxiety, which is a huge consideration when you’re actually putting the vehicle through its paces off road.”
The company is slated to begin testing a hydrogen fuel-cell variant of the Ineos by the end of the year. That’s about the same time a battery-electric prototype will also begin testing.
Of course, being that Ineos is one the world’s largest petrochemical companies, you might think they’d develop the Grenadier to run on synthetic fuels, not hydrogen fuel cells. But so far, this doesn’t seem to be planned as the company is more concerned about the best way to meet eventual zero-emission requirements.
Production to start this summer
Instead, production is scheduled to start in July with gasoline and diesel variants, the latter not being sold in the United States or Canada due to the difficulty meeting emissions requirements. It will be offered in other markets worldwide, however.
Expect the vehicle to reach Ineos U.S. showrooms in 2023. Orders will start later this year.
The Ineos Grenadier will be built in the company’s state-of-the-art Hambach plant, which it acquired from Mercedes-Benz in January 2021. The plant, situated 125 miles from Ineos Automotive’s operations in Stuttgart, features a fully automated body shop, a new semi-automated paint shop, and an upgraded general assembly facility.
“Some 15,000 customers worldwide have reserved their Grenadier,” said Dirk Heilmann, CEO of Ineos Automotive. “With the benefit of the highly skilled and experienced team at Hambach, as well as the expertise in safety and quality that we have employed, we are on target to begin series production in July.”
A new U.S. presence
In September 2021, Ineos Automotive announced its setting up its North American headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. Clark noted the area’s booming economy and technological expertise as bonuses for an automotive company, making the area an appealing place to find and attract talent.
“(It’s important to be) surrounded by not only the landscape but also the customer base that really loves 4×4 vehicles,” he said at the time. “They love getting off-road and there’s some spectacular routes, national forests — we’re closer to the customer. So it’s really important for us not to be necessarily in the northeast, or to be in a massive metropolitan area where we don’t get to see much of the great outdoors. It’s important for me to be close by.”
What’s coming to Ineos dealers
Power will come from a BMW turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine and ZF 8-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability calibrated specifically for the vehicle. A manual transmission will not be offered.
The Grenadier will come with a two-speed transfer case, three locking differentials, and a 7,700-pound towing capacity. There are solid beam axles for maximum articulation and a galvanized steel-ladder frame. Both steel and alloy wheels will be offered.
If a fuel cell version does arrive, it won’t be until at least 2027, and Hyundai may not produce the driveline. Who would hasn’t been disclosed.
Expect full specifications and pricing for the United States to be announced later this year. “We want to deliver a vehicle that’s ready, and we won’t cut corners,” said Heilmann
when will there be point of sales, or servic depots, in the US or in Canada?
Frankly, Richard, that’s one of the questions we are waiting to get an answer for.
Paul E