Aside from combustion engines, Ineos Automotive has teamed up with Hyundai to work on a fuel cell variant. However, a production version will not hit the market until 2027. The problem for the niche automaker with CEO Dirk Heilmann at its helm is that it must meet the European Union’s stringent emissions regulations. Since a plug-in hybrid Grenadier has been ruled out and a fuel cell model is not due in the next five years, the company needs to find a different solution to meet the necessary CO2 target.

It would seem the best way to tackle this issue is a battery-powered electric vehicle. While visiting the factory in Hambach, France where the Grenadier will be made, Automotive News Europe learned testing of EV prototypes will commence by the end of 2022. The all-terrain SUV is going to be assembled at the former Smart factory, bought by Ineos from Daimler a couple of years ago.

However, there are concerns with the weight of the battery pack since it has a negative impact on the commercial model’s payload capacity. Since the Grenadier has been developed together with Magna Steyer as a veritable workhorse, it needs to offer plenty of hauling capabilities. Ineos Automotive aims to sell two- and five-seat van derivatives of its Land Rover Defender competitor.

Speaking of which, the Gerandier came to life after Jaguar Land Rover refused to sell the tooling of the classic Defender after the model went out of production several years ago. It explains why the new off-roader has a similar boxy shape with an old-school vibe also seen in the Mercedes G-Class. Commercial director Mark Tennant admitted in an interview with ANE the battery pack “will probably add a ton of weight.” However, he remains optimistic since battery tech continues to evolve.

Following its European launch in July, the Ineos Grenadier will go on sale in the US next year exclusively with a gasoline engine to rival high-end Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco models. It’s unclear when the EV version will arrive, but since testing won’t kick off until late 2022, don’t expect a production version sooner than the end of 2023 or early 2024.

As a final note, Land Rover has already announced an all-electric variant of the modern Defender will arrive in the coming years.

Source: Automotive News Europe

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Power is provided by six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines developed by BMW, but a hydrogen version is officially in the works with fuel cell technology developed by Hyundai. The South Korean automaker behind the Nexo hydrogen crossover will lend its FCEV know-how to Ineos Automotive for a zero-emissions variant of its rugged SUV.

Testing is scheduled to commence towards the end of 2022, which means sales of the hydrogen Grenadier are unlikely to start before the end of 2023 or early 2024. Details about the powertrain it will use are not available at the moment of writing, although we do know Hyundai is developing a next-generation Nexo for a 2023 release and it would make sense for Ineos Automotive to use an adaptation of the same fuel cell setup.

What’s in it for Hyundai? Well, while Ineos gains access to the hydrogen tech for its first production car, Hyundai can take advantage of Ineos’ experience in regards to producing and distributing hydrogen. In a separate announcement made today, Ineos says it will invest more than €2 billion in green hydrogen production by setting up new zero-carbon plants in Norway, Germany, Belgium in the next 10 years, with investments also planned in the UK and France.

The two parties signed an agreement back in November 2020 and Ineos Automotive will also be working with British engineering firm AVL to create a prototype for testing purposes. AVL already is experienced in this field, having built a hydrogen-fueled Ford Transit for an extended trial run program.

Source: Ineos Automotive

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