Billionaire tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s fifth richest person, is planning ahead for an emissions-free future in the automotive industry. The fact that Britain will be banning sales of pure gas and diesel cars by 2030 probably plays a part, too.
Jim Ratcliffe’s latest endeavor is the rugged, utilitarian 4x4 Grenadier, which was inspired by the desire to fill a gap in the market left by the old Land Rover Defender. The Ineos Grenadier will go into production in late 2021, with an international sale date set for early 2022.
In the meantime, Ineos Automotive is working on diversifying powertrain options for it, including a hydrogen-powered variant. To that end, it has partnered with Hyundai, one of the leaders in hydrogen fuel-cell technology, to “explore together new opportunities in the hydrogen economy,” according to a press release. These include the production and supply of hydrogen and hydrogen applications throughout Europe but, more importantly, “the evaluation of Hyundai’s proprietary fuel cell system for the recently announced Ineos Grenadier 4x4 vehicle.”
Hyundai has more than five years of experience in terms of building hydrogen-powered cars, while Ineos (which is in fact a chemical substances producer) is already producing hydrogen: some 300,000 tons a year, mostly as a by-product of chemical manufacturing operations of its refinery network. Ineos Automotive hinted at such a move as early as September 2019, when it explained that a purely electric powertrain wasn’t exactly practical for SUVs, so it would be focusing on using hydrogen to create the needed electricity instead.
The Grenadier, expected to cost between £30,000 and £45,000 ($40,000 and $60,000) will be built in France, at the Mercedes-Benz smart factory in Hambach. Ineos hopes to reach 25,000 sales a year by offering a rugged, no-frills and highly capable 4x4 at decent prices – and, clearly, a little something for those who wish to minimize their carbon footprint.
In the meantime, Ineos Automotive is working on diversifying powertrain options for it, including a hydrogen-powered variant. To that end, it has partnered with Hyundai, one of the leaders in hydrogen fuel-cell technology, to “explore together new opportunities in the hydrogen economy,” according to a press release. These include the production and supply of hydrogen and hydrogen applications throughout Europe but, more importantly, “the evaluation of Hyundai’s proprietary fuel cell system for the recently announced Ineos Grenadier 4x4 vehicle.”
Hyundai has more than five years of experience in terms of building hydrogen-powered cars, while Ineos (which is in fact a chemical substances producer) is already producing hydrogen: some 300,000 tons a year, mostly as a by-product of chemical manufacturing operations of its refinery network. Ineos Automotive hinted at such a move as early as September 2019, when it explained that a purely electric powertrain wasn’t exactly practical for SUVs, so it would be focusing on using hydrogen to create the needed electricity instead.
The Grenadier, expected to cost between £30,000 and £45,000 ($40,000 and $60,000) will be built in France, at the Mercedes-Benz smart factory in Hambach. Ineos hopes to reach 25,000 sales a year by offering a rugged, no-frills and highly capable 4x4 at decent prices – and, clearly, a little something for those who wish to minimize their carbon footprint.