Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Automotive confirms electric off-roader for 2026

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Automotive today confirmed plans to add an electric 4X4 to its model range from 2026 as it accelerates its zero-emission intentions.

The new model, which is expected to be smaller than the Grenadier SUV, is already under development in Austria and will use batteries instead of hydrogen.

That’s despite the brand’s partnership with Korean car company Hyundai to trial hydrogen fuel cell technology for passenger cars.

With Land Rover expected to launch its electric version of the Defender around the same time, the new model could face the British car giant once again as petrochemical billionaire Ratcliffe.

A launch date for the new Ineos in 2026 will put it on a direct collision course with the electric Land Rover Defender, expected to be unveiled around the same time (pictured, a Land Rover Defender plug-in hybrid)

The unnamed electric Ineos follows in the tire tracks of the combustion-powered Ineos Grenadier, which is now being delivered to customers in the UK.

While the Grenadier is produced at the company’s recently acquired Hambach plant on the French-German border, the new electric model will be built exclusively in Graz, Austria, by manufacturing giant Magna Steyr.

The Austrian contract manufacturer is already producing Jaguar’s electric I-Pace and the Fisker Ocean on behalf of the US car start-up – which will launch in Britain by the end of the year.

Ineos’ new electric car will be the third model in its range alongside the Grenadier and a pickup version expected soon.

It confirmed today that it has signed a contract with Magma, including an agreement to start production at its factory in 2026.

This puts the new Ineos on a collision course with the electric Land Rover Defender, which is expected to arrive the same year.

This could spark another battle with the British marque following a lengthy court battle between Jaguar Land Rover and Ineos that concluded in 2020.

Land Rover lost its case in court to secure trademark rights to the shape of its old Defender 4×4 in an attempt to block Ratcliffe’s plans for the Grenadier 4×4, which shares a similar build and look.

While the Grenadier is produced at the company’s recently acquired Hambach plant on the French-German border, the new electric model will be built exclusively in Graz, Austria, by manufacturing giant Magna Steyr. The contractor already produces Jaguar’s electric I-Pace

Ineos bosses said today that the new electric 4×4 “will represent a unique proposition for customers”.

This includes smaller dimensions than the Grenadier and power from an all-new battery drivetrain.

Despite being loaded with heavy-duty batteries, the Ratcliffe car company promises it will deliver “world-class off-road capability, without compromising on-road comfort or performance.”

Development of the vehicle is already underway and a rigorous testing program will take place in the Schöckl mountain, close to the Magma assembly plant, in the coming months.

Commenting on today’s news, Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive said: ‘Having worked together on the engineering of the Grenadier, we have seen first-hand the value of applying Magna’s dexterity, knowledge and experience on a complete vehicle development. program.

“Deepening our partnership is a natural next step as we use the Grenadier as a springboard for our continued growth as a global automotive brand with this third model line.”

Ineos Automotive has previously committed to partnerships to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology as an alternative to batteries for future electric vehicles

Is this the end of the line for Ineos’ hydrogen vehicle plans?

Confirming today that the new Ineos will use a battery powertrain, it seems likely that Ineos is scaling back its intentions to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology for passenger cars.

In a 2019 interview with This is Money, Ineos bosses said it hoped to draw up long-term plans for hydrogen fuel cells instead of batteries to power its vehicles of the future.

Soon after, the car newcomer announced a partnership with Korean automaker Hyundai to work together to accelerate the technology.

Mark Tennant, commercial director, told us in 2019: ‘We are still at a fairly early stage, but we are working on a feasibility study for off-road and heavy-duty vehicles, which the UK government has supported. [and helped to fund].’

He added: “We think the longer term automotive industry will just be battery electric vehicles. That may be good for smaller, lighter cars, but not suitable for this vehicle class.’

Ineos is the largest producer of hydrogen in the UK and Europe, so it’s no surprise that it was keen to see fuel cells developed in the automotive sector.

However, Ratcliffe is reportedly increasingly conceding that the near-term adoption of hydrogen for passenger cars is unlikely beyond the use of large commercial vehicles such as trucks.

This comes after Shell recently confirmed it had closed all of its passenger car hydrogen filling stations in the UK due to a lack of demand and fewer than 500 fuel cell models being sold in Britain.