The Ineos Fusilier is on its way, bringing two electrified powertrains, a skateboard chassis, and the brand’s signature old-school styling. Company chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the vehicle offers Ineos’ robust off-road capabilities, noting that the range extender makes a fully electric vehicle more practical for many buyers.
Ineos leaned on Magna to help design the SUV, which also helped the company develop the Grenadier and Quartermaster pickup, its first two offerings. The Fusilier will be built in Magna’s Graz, Austria factory and undergo thorough bad weather testing on Schockl Mountain nearby.
Ineos said it would release details this fall, closer to the SUV’s launch, but information is thin at the moment. We know the new Fusilier will be shorter and lower than the Grenadier with a bespoke skateboard platform, a steel roof and underbody, and aluminum doors.
The Fusilier will be the automaker’s first electrified vehicle but likely won’t be its last. Ineos debuted a hydrogen fuel cell Grenadier variant last year, saying it felt the technology was viable for a rugged off-roader. At the same time, Ineos noted that hydrogen fueling infrastructure is too sparse to support the rollout at the moment.
Though other upstart automakers have struggled in recent times, with Lucid and Rivian laying off significant portions of their workforce, Ineos’ strategy of gas first, electric second may pay off. Additionally, the company has the backing of a giant chemicals firm, giving it stronger footing.
[Image: Ineos]
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