Ineos, the manufacturer of the Grenadier, has developed a hydrogen-powered prototype with a fuel cell. But it is not going into serial production due to a lack of infrastructure.

Making this prototype was “an obvious choice” for Ineos, according to Lynn Calder, Managing Director of Ineos Automotive*, who spoke to a group of journalists last week. However, the company believes that it does not yet have the financial resources to support the deployment of such a technology in the current environment: it will have to wait at least until the next decade, and in the meantime Ineos is going to “keep its hydrogen prototype under wraps”, states Ms Calder.

Click here to watch a video from Ineos showing footage of the vehicle.

In the meantime, the company plans to launch an electric 4×4 model in 2027, the Fusilier, at a time when the British government has put pressure on manufacturers to decarbonise their production. As of 2035, the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles and hybrids will be banned in the country, a target identical to that of the European Union. For Lynn Calder, this objective is “unsustainable” – even though the Conservative Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has already pushed back the initial date of the ban by five years. She criticises “an empty plan with no strategy behind it”.

A lacking infrastructure

In terms of infrastructure, there are over 61,000 public charging points in the UK, a 44% increase in one year, according to the British government. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is far behind: there were just around 921 refuelling stations in the world at the end of 2023, according to the consulting firm LBST. China is leading the way with 200, which is twice as many as in Germany, the European leader. And the UK accounts for only six stations.

The British automotive industry deplores the lack of government commitment and incentives, particularly for private individuals.

*A subsidiary of the petrochemicals group and owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who is also the owner of Manchester United football club. This entrepreneur is a firm believer in hydrogen.

Do you want to learn more about Ineos? Then our latest articles about the company should interest you. You can check them here and here.

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili