Ineos, the automotive startup focused on extreme off-road SUVs, unveiled what is set to become its third product line Friday, and the Fusilier will offer buyers two “green” powertrain options when it comes to market sometime in 2027, said company chairman Jim Ratcliffe.
Ineos Chairman Jim Ratcliffe wanted to find a way around the “range anxiety” of an all-electric SUV while still reducing emissions.
Following up on the original Grenadier SUV and Grenadier Quartermaster pickup, the new Ineos Fusilier will be the British brand’s first all-electric offering. But to minimize “range anxiety,” Ineos also will offer a “range extender” version, as well.
“The Fusilier is a great looking vehicle, and the two powertrain options provide a real-world reduction in carbon emissions without compromise to the off-road capability or the on-road performance,” said Ineos Chairman Jim Ratcliffe, adding that the two options “will offer our customers a very low emission drive without the range anxiety drivers of electric vehicles experience today.”
Overcoming range anxiety
The British automaker was launched in 2017 by the Ineos Group, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. Ratcliffe wanted to create vehicles offering, as he has said the “ultimate” in off-road capabilities. It rolled out the Grenadier in 2022 — with plans to launch it in the U.S. this year. The company followed with a pickup version, the Grenadier Quartermaster making its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last summer.
Facing increasingly stringent global emissions standards, Ineos started working on a third model line, what is set to become the Fusilier. But Ratcliffe and his team feared that today’s battery technology would place too many limits on the vehicle. After a brief pause, he said during a webcast on Friday, Ineos came up with a solution: offer two versions of Fusilier, one relying solely on battery power, the second adding a range extender.
Range extender
Fusilier will be offered either in all-electric form or with an optional internal combustion engine used solely as a generator.
Ineos is taking a somewhat different approach from the plug-in hybrids that are becoming increasingly popular today. Most PHEVs pair up an internal combustion engine with one or more electric motors. At any given time, the wheels can be motivated by the ICE part of the powertrain, the electric drive system – or both, operating simultaneously.
The approach Ineos is taking means the wheels will only ever draw power from Fusilier’s electric motors. If its batteries are drawn down the internal combustion engine kicks in. But it will operate at a relatively steady speed, simply serving as a generator providing electric power to the wheels and to help recharge the battery pack.
The Ram 1500 Ramcharger can operate in all-electric mode but features a gas-powered range-extender.
In all-electric form, the Ineos Fusilier is expected to have a range of about 400 kilometers, or 250 miles, per charge. According to Ratliffe, the range extender version of Fusilier will have a 30% smaller battery with a range of about 270 kilometers, or 168 miles. But by switching on the internal combustion engine it will be able to keep going as long as it has access to gasoline – or to some alternative liquid fuel. The executive indicated Ineos is looking at other options that could include so-called “designer fuels,” or even hydrogen.
Ineos isn’t the only automaker working up range-extender technology. Stellantis will use the same approach with the Ramcharger version upcoming Ram 1500 REV EV pickup.
Design
The Fusilier will take “a similar approach” to design as the Grenadier, which adopted a raw, industrial look with features such as exposed door hinges, said Ineos design chief Toby Ecuyer, “but obviously more aerodynamic” to maximize range.
The same will be the case with the interior. While Grenadier does feature some modern technology, including a touchscreen infotainment system, most vehicle functions are controlled by more traditional knobs and switches.
Fusilier will adopt the industrial look of the Grenadier, “only more aerodynamic,” according to design chief Toby Ecuyer.
“I can’t stand going through three layers of menus to turn the seat heater on,” said Ratliffe.
The Fusilier will follow a similar approach.
Timing
When Ineos first announced plans to launch a battery-electric model line it indicated a target date of 2026. The decision to pause the project and rethink its drivetrain system has led to a delay.
“Because we stepped back,” said Ratliffe, the rollout of the Ineos Fusilier now “will probably be early 2027, mid-2027.”
The company hasn’t discussed pricing for the electric SUV yet. The Ineos Grenadier starts around $73,000.
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