+++ INEOS AUTOMOTIVE has revealed plans to substantially grow its line-up to 4 vehicles by the end of the decade. A new, smaller electric off-roader will kick-start the expansion of the nascent marque’s portfolio beyond the go-anywhere Grenadier from 2026, setting up the firm to potentially beat the electric Land Rover Defender to market. The ambitious plans underline Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s determination to establish his automotive division as a brand rather than the maker of a single, niche off-roader, as well as building its credentials in the electric and luxury car markets. As such, the cars are expected to be sold under the Ineos brand name, with the Grenadier designation reserved for that model. Rumours had suggested the smaller car would be sold as the Grenadier Sport, but this is no longer believed to be the case. Ratcliffe revealed he has spent around €1.5 billion launching the Ineos Automotive division to date, suggesting a bill in excess of €4.5 billion to launch the 4-model line-up, even with the distribution and marketing channels established. Asked why he was committing so heavily to the automotive sector despite the significant challenges of succeeding in the industry, and prior to the Grenadier being established in the market, Ratcliffe said: “It’s business. I respect what we’re up against, but I feel that we can establish ourselves in a part of the market that’s not currently served. There’s a gap in terms of off-road capability, and I think we can build a very profitable brand around that unique position. The risks are high, but the rewards are too. I’m not someone who is scared by a challenge”. Late last year, Ratcliffe appointed Lynn Calder (who had previously acted as CEO for other Ineos ventures) as CEO of the Automotive division and employed Grenadier project manager Hans-Peter Pessler as Ineos Automotive’s chief operating officer. Pessler came from Magna Steyr, the Austrian firm that led the car’s development and which is well known for developing and manufacturing cars for other OEMs. These include the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a project in which Pessler played a leading role. The latest G-Class is selling in record numbers and contributing to historic revenues of around €50.000 per vehicle sold for Mercedes-Benz, up around 25% on pre-pandemic levels. The 4 Ineos models are expected to be built at its factory in Hambach, France, although Ratcliffe hasn’t ruled out opening new operations around the globe. After initial delays, production of the Grenadier is set to ramp up to around 25.000 cars per year over the course of 2023, while sales will open in crucial new markets, including the United States. However, the plant has substantial additional capacity for extra shifts, plus space that is currently given over to contract manufacturing projects for its former owner Mercedes-Benz but which are likely to be phased out over the coming years. In the meantime, development of the new, smaller electric off-road model is believed to be well advanced, with the styling all but signed off and a freeze on platform development imminent. The car will be significantly shorter than the 4.7-metre Grenadier, potentially placing it as a rival in size to the Land Rover Defender 90, which is 4.3 meter in length. It will sit on an all-new, Ineos-developed platform created specifically for electric propulsion but will feature many of the Grenadier design cues, as well as its off-road ability. It is expected but not confirmed that Magna Steyr will continue to be closely associated with the project. A target range of 400 km has been set by Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe revealed: “It will be smaller than the Grenadier and have its own character, but it will still look like a younger brother; the family resemblance will be there. We saw the latest clay model last month, and Toby Ecuyer, who designed the Grenadier, is basically there. “Because it’s electric it will inevitably carry a bit of a weight penalty, but my expectation is that it will still have the range and capability of the Grenadier. We aren’t going to compromise”. Pessler said: “We have thought about linking up with another manufacturer and sharing technology, but if we want to be honest about going into this off-road niche and ensuring that all of our vehicles have the level of capability we believe makes them authentic, then we have to go our own way”. Pessler also confirmed the platform will be scalable up and down in size but said his team was still defining its full potential. He went on to dismiss using sophisticated torque vectoring systems or in-board motors, saying any car that is developed by Ineos needs to be easy to maintain in the field. The technical concept for the whole car is scheduled to be signed off by the end of the year, with detailed revisions and test work expected to be carried out from early next year. This will include reliability testing on Austria’s famously brutal Schöckl pass, which Ratcliffe has determined every Ineos car must be able to traverse more times than any other rival on the market. That raises intriguing questions about the smaller electric car and larger, Grenadier-sized luxury model that Ratcliffe has revealed are also in the product plan for the firm. While making use of the same platform and layout as the Defender 90 rival and requiring significant off-road ability to stay true to the Ineos brand’s ethos, the smaller car is expected to have more of an urban focus. A rival in terms of size, if not potentially all-road capability, would be the 4.1 meter long Jeep Avenger. Likewise, the luxury model, tipped to be an extravagantly upgraded version of the Grenadier rather than a bespoke model, is expected to forgo some of its off-road capability as a trade-off for better on-road manners. Pessler highlighted the challenges of scaling his engineering team to develop the new models, saying: “It’s easy to bring in the expertise, but it is the culture I need to focus on most. We have a huge amount to do, but it’s crucial we don’t grow too quickly”. In addition to developing the new cars, Ineos has committed to introducing annual model-year updates of the Grenadier. There is also the prospect that the car itself will need replacing or heavily updating by the end of the decade. While Ratcliffe refused to rule out hydrogen-powered versions of these cars being developed, he did concede it was unlikely given the time frame for their launch. Working in partnership with Hyundai, which currently sells the Nexo FCEV and has bold plans to expand its hydrogen commercial offering in the coming years, Ineos had been developing a hydrogen-powered Grenadier prototype. However, Ratcliffe conceded that the short-term adoption of the fuel was unlikely for anything beyond large commercial vehicle use, and he highlighted the sporadic roll-out of refuelling stations globally as a significant drawback and a reason for focusing on battery-electric development initially. Question&Answer with Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive: Q: What’s your background? A: “Oil, gas and chemicals. I’ve held two CEO roles with Ineos, and I guess that once people know and trust how you operate, opportunities come your way. Ineos Automotive is full of people who understand automotive: the Grenadier proves that. What we need now is a sustainable plan that allows us to be here in 10 to 15 years’ time”. Q: Do you like cars? A: “Yes. Like many people, I learned to drive in a Ford Fiesta and now I’m lucky enough to own a Porsche Macan Turbo. The buying experience was fascinating. I have experiences I can relate to this job”. “I’m not here to just look at the spreadsheets, put it that way. I’m curious and I like a challenge, so I will ask a lot of questions; not to rip up the rulebook, but to find out why things are done a certain way and to consider if it’s the best way”. Q: Does launching a new automotive company feel like a huge step? A: “I’ve been really fortunate to have some incredible roles in my career, with big financial and team responsibilities. I’ve never had a career plan or been the sort of person that coveted doing the same job forever. I like change. I need to understand the team, build it and motivate it”. I’m excited, not daunted”. Q: What kind of boss is Jim Ratcliffe? A: “Brilliant but demanding. He hasn’t got where he is by being shy and retiring! He’s curious and, as with the other owners at Ineos, they don’t beat about the bush. It’s quite a direct relationship, but that’s how I like it. I know what’s expected, put it that way”. +++
+++ A few months ago, we wrote that the final production units of the LAMBORGHINI Aventador Ultimae represented the end of the reign of the naturally aspirated (NA) V12 in Sant’Agata Bolognese, and the last Aventador Ultimae meant the end of an NA V12 Aventador. Seems I was mistaken. Lamborghini now tells us these 2 one-offs are the proper and (maybe) final end of the NA V12. Created for a customer who worked with Lamborghini Centro Stile from inception, the duo are the Invencible (the Spanish spelling of “Invincible”) coupe and Auténtica roadster. They’re not only farewells, they are greatest-hits compilations said to combine design features from the Reventón from 2008, the Sesto Elemento from 2010, the Veneno from 2013 and the 830-horsepower Essenza SCV12 track-only coupe from 2020. Lamborghini didn’t mention the Sián FKP 37, but the headlights are a match, and the side vents are a mix between the Sián and the Sesto Elemento. Both are based on the Aventador’s carbon fiber tub, and both feature a 6.5-liter V12 making 770 hp and 700 Nm of torque. The Invencible wears carbon fiber panels in Rosso Efesto, which is Hephaestus Red, Hephaestus being the Greek god of things like fire and volcanoes. The paint’s accented with carbon-look elements that glint with red flakes, brake calipers in Rosso Mars, and pure carbon. The hexagonal Tricolore on the door fits in with numerous other 6-sided elements like the DRLs, 3-part taillights and exhaust. A tidy, angular swan-neck wing hovers over the rear fascia, its stanchions anchored beside the backlight. Inside is a mix of Rosso Alala leather, Nero Cosmus Alcantara, and contrast stitching in Rosso Alala and Nero Ade. Rosso Efesto is used on the steering wheel and for the shift paddles. Designers removed the Aventador’s infotainment screen, moving all readouts to the digital gauge display and leaving twin hexagonal vents to dominate the open space over a pocket trimmed in red.
The Auténtica roadster is painted in Grigio Titans with details in Giallo Auge (Yellow Peak) and Matte Black. Instead of the Invencible’s rear wing, a pair of fins highlighted by a yellow line channel air over the rear spoiler. Inside, occupants sit on Nero Ade leather and Giallo Taurus stitching, and can ogle 2-tone Nero Cosmus and Grigio Octans Alcantara. This is really it for the V12. I think. The next engine out of the Sant’Agata gates will be the Aventador’s V12 hybrid successor, which Lamborghini says it only a few weeks away. +++
+++ This new €400.000 (Dutch pricing) Range Rover signals LAND ROVER ’s intent to shake up the bespoke market, with a new-look Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division gunning for Bentley Mulliner and Rolls-Royce Bespoke. It has become the latest company to offer custom-made vehicles, following record income from rivals using a similar model. Bentley broke its 2021 profit record by July 2022, which it put down to a rise in personalisations requests. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) hopes this will boost overall profits for the development of future models following a torrid time, having at the end of 2022 posted its first profitable quarter since 2020 on the back of rising sales of its Range Rover line-up, especially in the United States. Aiming to transition to an agency model by late 2024, JLR will eventually deal with customers directly rather than through dealerships. 16 examples of the Range Rover SV Lansdowne Edition, launched today, will be produced. All of the cars, which each carry a number stamp, have already been sold. The SV Lansdowne Edition gets a number of bespoke options, including exclusively commissioned Lansdowne Grey Gloss paint, accented with what Land Rover calls “unique design details”; 23 inch alloy wheels finished in satin black with grey inserts; and chrome detailing on the front and rear bumpers. Inside, it has a unique rosewood interior, a ceramic finish to the controls, leather-bound carpeting and the usually optional Tailgate Event Suite as standard, enabling owners to sit on foldable chairs on the split-folding tailgate. “Alongside exceptional vehicles like the Lansdowne Edition, we’re developing locations, services and events that provide unique and exclusive touchpoints for our clients”, said Patrick McGillycuddy, JLR sales director for the United Kingdom. He was speaking at the opening of a century-old refurbished boutique in Mayfair. The Lansdowne Edition will enter the market alongside custom luxury SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga Mulliner and Rolls-Royce Cullinan Bespoke, the latter of which has a starting price of €434.930 in the Netherlands. +++
+++ A new study has cast further doubt on the real-world efficiency of PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLES . The tests, carried out by Graz University in Austria on behalf of clean transport campaign group, Transport & Environment, reveal a major discrepancy between the official WLTP emissions test figures for the vehicles and their real-world performance. 3 test cars, a BMW 330e XDrive, a Peugeot 308 Plug-in Hybrid and a Renault Megane Estate E-Tech, were put through a series of 3 test routes on public roads designed to replicate typical commuter journeys. Onboard emissions measuring equipment recorded the exhaust gases produced from each. While the official WLTP laboratory tests indicate combined cycle CO2 emissions of between 27 g/km and 37 g/km for the cars tested, the real-world tests as a whole recorded emissions of between 85 g/km and 114 g/km when all the cars began the routes with a fully charged battery. That’s an increase of around 3 times over the official quoted figures. On the ‘city’ route designed to replicate typical urban driving, the plug-in hybrids performed better when setting out with a fully-charged battery, but emissions overall were still between 1.2 and 1.3 times higher than the WLTP numbers. When that same route was covered with the battery in the PHEVs not pre-charged at all, emissions were between 5 and 7 times higher than WLTP. The tests also raised questions over the quoted electric-only ranges that PHEVs can provide with the BMW delivering 26 percent less than its official range and the Peugeot 47 percent down on its WLTP range. The Renault Megane Estate E-Tech actually exceeded its officialWLTP electric range by 1 kilometer. The resulting report from Transport & Environment recommends that PHEVs should not be thought of as zero-emissions vehicles in urban areas and urges regulators across Europe to base PHEV taxation, including Benefit-in-Kind company car tax, on actual emissions rather than the official tests, which may significantly understate real-world output. Here at Autointernationaal, my own non-scientific real-world testing of PHEV vehicles has regularly turned up similar results to those found in these tests, with official WLTP fuel economy, emissions and range figures often far in excess of what appears to be achievable in real world conditions. Accurately testing vehicle emissions in the real world is fraught with difficulty, with so many variables impacting on the results, but measures to bring WLTP laboratory test results for PHEVs closer to those experienced by owners would surely be beneficial for the industry and consumers. +++
+++ In 2019 we finally got to see the production-ready version of the PORSCHE TAYCAN , after the vehicle had been teased for many years with the Mission E concept. Now it looks like Porsche is working on the facelifted Taycan, as caught in the latest spy pictures. There remains a possibility this could be a new trim level of Porsche’s first full EV, but we already have the entry-level Taycan, 4S, GTS, Turbo and range-topping Turbo S, so it’s difficult to see where a new model would fit into the line-up. Even so, the relative lack of camouflage suggests a fairly minor design change. The front bumper will be reshaped with new side air vents, no doubt to lower the 0.22 drag coefficient even further. The quad led headlights that have become a signature feature of the current Porsche range are likely to be retained for the facelift. Although this test car sits on 20 inch wheels available on the current Taycan, a new set of alloy-wheel choices are expected to be added with the facelift. There are also no changes to the rear of this test car. As for the powertrain, we expect the current range of trim levels to continue, with the Taycan offering a 79.2 kWh unit and the faster, more expensive models to come with a 93.4 kWh battery. Porsche may well tweak the cooling and overall efficiency of the batteries to increase range, especially the mileage lost during cold weather. The most recent upgrade saw the Turbo 4S go from 460 kmiles to a maximum 510 km, so Porsche has already demonstrated how it can extract more range from the model. I’ve also spotted a new range-topping version of the Taycan, with a triple-motor set-up and performance-focused aerodynamic tweaks, as a rival to the Tesla Model S Plaid. I believe this model will appear alongside the facelifted Taycan later this year. +++
+++ Elon Musk’s concept of an all-electric, stainless steel truck is one that you might say belongs … well, back to the future. Taking a cue from that movie’s biggest star (John DeLorean’s extreme vision of a stainless-steel-bodied sports car) Musk 3 years ago shocked the industry when he announced that TESLA would build a Cybertruck that would accelerate faster than a 911 and look nothing like a Ford F-150. And it would be built of DeLorean-esque stainless steel. The Musk plan, like many Musk plans, has yet to come to fruition. In a revealing essay in The New York Times, veteran auto writer Jack Ewing details the effort to produce the Cybertruck, with a focus on the use of stainless steel in an “exoskeleton” vehicle as “another example of Mr. Musk’s penchant for pushing technological boundaries to the brink of disaster”. Ewing discusses with experts the challenges of working with the material; challenges, he writes, that may “help explain why Tesla is 2 years behind schedule in manufacturing the Cybertruck, which the company plans to produce at its factory in Austin, Texas’. The story quotes Raj Rajkumar, a professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, on Musk’s go-my-own-way approach: “Tesla thinks they can solve any problem and don’t have to learn from anyone else. And then they get stuck in a corner”. Meanwhile, Tesla’s been lapped by competitors whose electric trucks were announced later but went on sale sooner. Citing the high demand for EV trucks, Ewing notes, “Ford stopped taking reservations for its F-150 Lightning, a battery-powered version of the bestselling vehicle, because it can’t make the vehicles fast enough. Rivian, a newer electric vehicle company, is also struggling to produce enough of its pickup, the R1T, to meet demand”. But it’s stainless steel that most intrigues him. Ewing explains that the cost of the material exceeds conventional steel “because it contains chromium and often other ingredients, like nickel and molybdenum, that are in high demand. Stainless steel’s tendency to spring back to its original shape means it cannot be stamped into fenders and other parts as easily as the more pliable steel used by most automakers. It also requires special welding techniques”. In other words, you can ignore Musk’s initial claim of a $40.000 truck; that’s not going to happen. The story takes a dive into design and mass-production questions, noting the Cybertruck body “has none of the curves typical of most vehicles, instead consisting of flat steel panels that experts say are probably cut with lasers and then welded together, eliminating the need for powerful stamping machines”. Ewing also speculates about safety. “The steel used in most cars is designed to crumple in a crash, absorbing energy and protecting passengers”, he writes. “Stainless steel does not crumple as easily, exposing passengers to more of the force from impact”. Summing up, he writes, “If nothing else, the Cybertruck will stand out in a crowded field”. But when? It’s now looking like 2024 before the truck gets produced in any real numbers. +++
+++ In the UNITED KINGDOM , new car registrations grew 14.7 percent in January 2023 to 131.994 units; the best start to the year since January 2020 (149.279 units) before the pandemic and the 6th consecutive month of growth. Registrations of electric vehicles rose 19.8 percent to 17.294 units. This equates to 13.1 percent of total registrations, which is slightly down on the average for 2022. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose in popularity. Private registrations fell 4.3 percent during the month, but fleet registrations rose 36.8 percent, while business registrations were up 45.6 percent. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which published the figures, expects 1 in 4 new cars sold this year will have a plug; a growth of 32.1 percent. It warned, however, that public charging infrastructure is failing to keep pace. The SMMT called on the Government to use the upcoming Budget to cut VAT on public chargepoint use from 20 percent to 5 percent, and to amend plans to make electric car owners pay vehicle excise duty. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: “The automotive industry is already delivering growth that bucks the national trend and is poised, with the right framework, to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK economy. The industry and market are in transition, but fragile due to a challenging economic outlook, rising living costs and consumer anxiety over new technology. We look to a Budget that will reaffirm the commitment to net zero and provide measures that drive green growth for the sector and the nation. The strong start to the year is mirrored in the latest market outlook, which anticipates 1.79 million new car registrations in 2023, an 11.1 percent increase on the past year, but still well below 2019 levels. This also represents a 0.8 percent reduction on October’s outlook, against a weak economic backdrop. However, a further 9.3 percent increase is expected next year, with 1.96 million new cars expected to join the road in 2024”. +++
+++ Electric-vehicle maker VINFAST has cut about 80 jobs in North America, including its U.S. chief financial officer, raising questions about the health of the Vietnamese company ahead of a possible stock listing and before it has even begun delivering cars to U.S. buyers. Rodney Haynes, finance chief of VinFast U.S., has left amid a restructuring of the business, according to people familiar with the situation. There were also layoffs in Canada, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter wasn’t public. VinFast, part of Vietnam’s biggest conglomerate and backed by the country’s richest person, said late last month it was consolidating its U.S. and Canadian strategic business and management operations into a single unit called VinFast North America, headquartered in Los Angeles. Van Anh Nguyen was named chief executive officer of the new entity, while maintaining her role as CEO of VinFast U.S. Manufacturing, the company said. VinFast U.S. CEO Giang Nguyen has been reassigned to be deputy CEO of VinFast North America, according to the people. In response to questions from Bloomberg News, Vinfast said the restructuring was aimed at better serving customers in the region, and that it has been working with local service providers to improve efficiency. “This also leads to the streamlining of our North American operations and there are certain departments affected by this”, the EV maker said in an email. VinFast has grand ambitions in the US, the first country beyond Vietnam that it is targeting with its EVs. The first shipment of vehicles arrived weeks ago, but first deliveries in the notoriously competitive car market have already been delayed, after initially saying they’d be pushed back from December to January, the company last week said it doesn’t expect them to begin until the second half of February. VinFast recently lowered the price of its VF 8, and increased the range rating. But range figures and its plan to lease batteries have been moving targets in recent months. Against the backdrop of the layoffs and delays, the automaker plans a U.S. initial public offering, saying in December that it was working with banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup. Bloomberg reported last month that the listing may come in the second quarter. VinFast was founded by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong in 2017. The company has said it could deliver as many as 1 million cars globally in about 5 years. +++
+++ Finalists for this year’s WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS have been released across World Car, Electric, Luxury, Performance and Urban categories. BMW leads the way with 5 nominations, followed by Kia and Nissan with 4 each. Land Rover has 2 nominations in the Luxury Car category with the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, while the new Lucid Air all-electric car also features in 2 categories. Contenders on the shortlist for World Car of the Year are Alfa Romeo Tonale, BMW 2 Series Coupe, BMW X1/iX1, Honda HR-V/ZR-V, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Kia Niro, Mazda CX-60, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Nissan Ariya and Nissan Z. World Electric Vehicle nominations include the BMW i7, Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Kia Niro EV and the Lucid Air, while the World Luxury Car shortlist comprises the BMW 7 Series/i7, Genesis G90, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and the Lucid Air again. The World Performance Car category features BMW’s M4 CSL, the Kia EV6 GT, Nissan Z, Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Toyota GR Corolla, while only three models make the World Urban Car shortlist: Citroen C3, ORA Funky Cat and Volkswagen Taigo. The final car category is for World Car Design of the Year with the shortlist drawn up for the judges by six design experts, including former Jaguar design director Ian Callum. The contenders are the Cadillac Lyriq, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Range Rover, Lucid Air and Nissan Z. The winners will be announced at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday April 5 and will be presented with new trophies that have been designed by Ian Callum. +++