The Grenadier Demonstrator
Ineos Automotive’s hydrogen-fuelled Grenadier Demonstrator has made its debut in the UK.
The hydrogen Grenadier Demonstrator 4 x 4 is identical to the production Grenadier, apart from a bonnet adjustment to accommodate the additional height of the fuel cell.
However, this adjustment will not be present in the production model.
“The hydrogen-powered Grenadier Demonstrator is an extraordinary vehicle, capable of doing everything a conventionally powered Grenadier can do, but with zero emissions,” says Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder.
The project to develop a hydrogen-fuelled Grenadier began in June last year, when the business partnered with Austrian engineering supplier/powertrain consultancy, AVL, to develop the vehicle.
The hydrogen Grenadier uses the BMW Group’s latest hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain.
Ineos Automotive says the flexibility of the Grenadier platform allowed its engineers to integrate the powertrain by modifying the ladder frame and rear axle, accommodating the electric-drive units to deliver torque vectoring drive control to each rear wheel.
The capabilities of torque vectoring result in what Ineos calls ‘gecko capability’ – “outstanding control and manoeuvrability in all off-road conditions, as well as a tighter turning circle and enhanced on-road driving dynamics”.
The hydrogen Grenadier Demonstrator has already undergone testing to ensure there has been no compromise to its on- and off-road capability, or towing capacity.
“The hydrogen-powered Grenadier Demonstrator, along with our all-electric model, due in 2026, shows Ineos’ commitment to net zero,” says Calder.
“Battery-electric vehicles are perfect for certain uses – shorter trips, most private car journeys and urban deliveries – whilst hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles are more suited for longer trips and heavy-duty cycles where batteries impact too much on payload and where long range between stops is necessary.”
Calder says Ineos, as a group, produces 400 000 t/y of hydrogen, and is committed to hydrogen as a key fuel of the future.
“Our demonstrator proves that the technology is capable, but what we need now is support from policy makers to help provide the infrastructure for the next generation of hydrogen vehicles.”