Ineos Automotive is in talks with Chery to build cars on a range-extender (REx) EV platform from the Chinese group’s iCaur off-road brand, Autocar has learned.
The tie-up would allow Ineos to move quickly to develop its postponed Fusilier REx off-roader and expand its line-up beyond the slow-selling Grenadier combustion-engined off-roader.
The launch of the Fusilier would give Ineos a crucial low-CO2 model that would allow it to comply with emissions regulations in both the UK and the European Union.
Currently, the company manages the regulations by selling some Grenadier models as commercial vehicles, thus ensuring it stays within the lighter-touch rules for low-volume manufacturers.
Ineos is expected to repurpose iCaur’s upcoming V27, an offroader that uses a 1.5-litre turbo engine as a generator when the charge from its battery – either 22kWh or 33kWh – is depleted. At 4.8m long and just under 2.0m tall, the V27 is larger than the Fusilier concept revealed last year but still smaller than the Grenadier.
The all-wheel-drive version packages an electric motor on each axle and produces up to 449bhp, iCaur has said.
Ineos declined to comment when approached by Autocar.
In May, iCaur CEO Su Jun released a picture of himself standing with a prototype of the V27, asking social media followers whether they agreed with comments that it was “the national version of the G-Class” or the “new-energy Land Cruiser”.
The iCaur brand is targeting sales in the UK and mainland Europe from early next year with a range of models starting with the V23 (pictured below), a small electric SUV. Subsequent models will include the V25 and a planned new ‘V21’ to rival the Jeep Avenger.
Join the debate
Add your comment
It would be hardly surprisising that Ratcliffe is bored with the project (and the huge and continuing losses in addition to those at INEOS Group). It's also evident that the business has been a revolving door of seasoned executives all of whom can't make it things any better with the current product, distribution and customer/technical issues and Ratcliffe's "my way or the highway" approach. INOES hint that they are looking for a partner but really they look like they want out and are trying to show that the business has a future to potential (chinese) buyers by resurrecfting cancelled products. But does it? It has £2b+ of debt and sales that are less than 10% of Defender annually. Is Ratcliffe really going to stump up £500m+ for Fusilier? No. Is Grenadier going to be developed into a wider range? Again no if it costs money. It's already aging and the five year warranty will start to bite them hard. Not a happy outlook.
Chery seems an odd choice of partner for Ineos given its existing Land Rover connections.