Off-road lovers and the motor world in general wait patiently to see the Ineos Grenadier in action. The most anticipated SUV is already on the production lines, wherever its hydrogen version will take longer to arrive than expected. The Scots have everything ready, but the world seems not to be ready for it.
It was in October 2021 when Ineos Automotive announced, for the first time, that there was room in its plans for a hydrogen Ineos Grenadier. Then he revealed that the development of this variant would be carried out with AVL, an Austrian company known for its dynamic test benches and which has collaborated in the development of both components and competition and series engines. So much so that, in 2022, it introduced its own hydrogen mechanics.
Ineos and hydrogen
For Ineos Automotive, electric cars are perfect for moving around the city center and for short trips, but hydrogen is much better for long trips and heavier loads: “For us, the fuel cell is the right zero-emission option for this type of vehicle.” To this must be added his experience in the hydrogen industry: he produces more than 400,000 tons of hydrogen with low carbon emissions every year… so he knows how to manufacture it, transport it, store it and use it.
The details surrounding the hydrogen Ineos Grenadier are scarce and there is no information available about that propulsion system, but what we do know is that its launch will not take place in the short or medium term. And the reason is not that the company does not have the technology developed. As reported CarExpertIneos Automotive has its hydrogen SUV ready: why, then, has he delayed his presentation? For the current global hydrogen recharging infrastructure. Or, rather, for its lack.
A hydrogen SUV… without hydrogen generators
By mid-2023, the hydrogen-powered Ineos Grenadier will be running, but due to infrastructure problems they cannot bet on the fuel cell. And they will not do so until they verify that drivers can easily access a charging network.
The current infrastructure is not sufficiently developed to support the launch of a hydrogen SUV. In the United States, for example, there are 54 public stations: 53 are located in California and one is in Hawaii. The United Kingdom has seven and Europe has 228 hydrogen plants: 101 are located in Germany. And in Spain? There are six, but only three are public: Madrid, Seville, Zaragoza. The others can be found in Huesca, Albacete and Puertollano.
In 2022, Dirk Heilmann, CEO of Ineos Automotive, He did his math and estimated that the hydrogen Ineos Grenadier would not arrive until 2027 “at the earliest”: now you will have to take out the calculator again because, with the last decision, there will be a change of dates. Will we see other alternatives before?