INEOS will wait until 2028 to produce their first EV – just months after unveiling the motor.
The rapidly rising 4×4 firm, which is run by part owner of Manchester United Sir Jim Ratcliffe, announced last month that their very first electric offering was ‘indefinitely delayed’.
To be called the Fusilier, it’s set to be a smaller, all electric or range-extended hybrid little brother to the only other model on Ineos’ books – the Grenadier.
The Fusilier was revealed to the world to much fanfare back in February – with the brand boasting it will have “world-class off-road capability”.
Speaking to Auto Express, the company has now hinted that the ‘indefinite delay’ may only mean an extra year.
Discussing why the company came to the decision, Ineos Automotive‘s CEO Lynne Calder said: “It was two reasons, and the first was just policy.
“I think this year in particular, with so many elections going on in so many different countries, it’s really quite difficult to work out what’s going to happen.
“The other reason was, partly because of policy clarity and partly the lack of infrastructure, consumer confidence in EVs has taken a nosedive in a lot of our main markets and a lot of people need to be persuaded that it’s the right car for them.
“So I don’t need to rush at it, right?
“We’ve developed the car, we love the design and we’re really confident in our two powertrain options.”
This likely comes as Labour pledged to reinstate the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars – overturning Rishi Sunak‘s decision to delay the moratorium on gas-guzzling vehicles.
The European Union, meanwhile, is still targeting 2035.
When Auto Express asked Calder when the Fusilier might arrive, she said: “We had indicated May 2027 but that’s unlikely, so probably 2028.
“I don’t think we’re going to be paused for very long, but I think that getting it out in 2027 will be quite difficult.”
The Fusilier’s pencilled in production date might be good news for Ineos’ Magna-Steyr plant in Austria, where the new EV is planned to be built.
This comes as 500 staff were laid off after the demise of the Fisker Ocean, as well as Jaguar’s recent decision to drop the I-Pace and E-Pace.
More concerning is the company’s concerns over EV infrastructure, which will mean the plug-in hybrid version will be released first.
Calder said: “The May 2027 date was for the range extender.
“We’ll definitely launch that first and we think that will be the more popular vehicle.”
The Grenadier is largely seen as a tribute to the Land Rover Defender – with the idea behind the motor born from a conversation Sir Jim Ratcliffe had with pals in a pub around the demise of the iconic 4×4.
Sir Jim even approached Jaguar Land Rover about the possibility of buying the tooling to continue production of the original model – after it ceased production in January 2016 – but they declined.
Named after the Grenadier pub in Belgravia, central London, Sir Jim came up with the idea of building a utilitarian 4×4 as the spiritual successor to the Defender.
Amusingly, he is believed to have scribbled down plans for the motor on a beer mat.
