Ineos’ hydrogen Grenadier set for 2022 test

31 October 2021

British multinational chemicals company Ineos has announced that it will be adding to its hydrogen-advocacy campaign with the testing of a fuel-cell powered version of its Grenadier all-wheel-drive SUV.

Currently, the Grenadier is slated to be available with diesel or petrol engines courtesy of BMW and will enter production in the summer of 2022.

Later next year, alongside this rollout of internal-combustion engine (ICE) driven vehicles, Ineos will test a hydrogen fuel-cell, which is likely to be provided by Hyundai. In November 2020, Ineos signed an agreement to evaluate the Korean automotive manufacturer’s proprietary fuel-cell, as used in the hydrogen-powered Nexo.

Wider hydrogen-based initiatives

The development of a fuel-cell powered Grenadier is part of Ineos’ wider, circa €2 billion investment in green hydrogen. The company is currently Europe’s largest producer of the fuel, derived via electrolysis, claiming to create up to 400,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen per year.

Plans for a hydrogen-powered Grenadier add to Ineos’ advocacy campaign. The company aims to draw attention to both the benefits and applications of the fuel with a billboard and digital advertising campaign in London and Glasgow, a UK hydrogen-bus tour, and the exhibition of a hydrogen-powered car at COP26.

‘Electric cars are ideal for city centres and short journeys,’ commented Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe. ‘But hydrogen is much better for longer journeys and heavier loads and that requires immediate investment in distribution and filling stations.’