Ineos Fusilier revealed as off-road EV with range-extender sibling
Ineos Automotive has announced that its third vehicle will be named the Fusilier and will come with a choice of two electrified powertrains.
Joining the Grenadier off-roader and Quartermaster pick-up, the Fusilier is a smaller SUV that the brand says will retain a focus on off-road ability. It will also introduce a zero-emissions model to the Ineos range for the first time.
Technical details are in short supply but we know that the Fusilier is built on a bespoke skateboard platform and will be constructed in Austria by Magna. Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously said that the firm’s first EV would have a range of 249 miles and, obviously, it will have two motors for four-wheel-drive. But we don’t know much beyond that.
The car’s unveiling sees the British firm honour Ratcliffe’s stated plan to create an electric 4×4. But it also sees the announcement of a second powertrain in the form of a range-extender.
This will use electric motors to power the wheels and feature a small petrol motor as a generator to charge the battery on the move. Ineos says more details, including a launch date, are expected this autumn.
Unveiling the Fusilier, Ratcliffe said; “As we developed this vehicle, we quickly concluded that in order to move towards decarbonisation but continue making cars that consumers want to drive, we need a mix of powertrain technologies.
“BEVs are perfect for certain uses: shorter trips and urban deliveries, but industry and governments need to have realistic expectations around other technologies that can help accelerate the necessary pace of change. That is the reason we are offering an additional powertrain for the Fusilier, one that dramatically reduces emissions but has the range and refuelling capabilities needed.”
The Fusilier is slightly shorter in length and height than the Grenadier but there’s a distinct visual connection in their boxy styling. The smaller car has smoother lines and more rounded corners to aid with aerodynamics and range. Features such as door hinges and side steps have been integrated into the bodywork, and there are active grille shutters to manage airflow for cooling or range-maximising. A flat underbody also aids efficiency.
Ineos says that, like the Grenadier, the Fusilier will offer “world-class” off-road capability. Like the Grenadier it will be tested on Austria’s Schöckl mountain, near Magna’s Graz factory. It also says there will be no compromise to on-road performance, which will come as a pleasant surprise to anyone who’s driven a Grenadier.
Ineos also has plans for a hydrogen-powered Grenadier but says that it won’t put the vehicle into production until the infrastructure has improved to a level that makes it commercially viable.
