INEOS Automotive unveils its first 4x4 EV, but also uses the moment to romanticize gas cars

INEOS Automotive unveils its first 4×4 EV, but also uses the moment to romanticize gas cars

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2024

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During a livestream held from the Grenadier Pub in London today, young UK Automaker INEOS publicly unveiled its third model and first EV – the Fusilier. As a smaller version of its Grenadier sibling, the Fusilier will arrive with BEV and range extender options. Despite being all-electric, the Fusilier’s makers couldn’t stop talking about the potential of every other option besides electric.

INEOS Automotive is a vehicle sub-brand of Ineos Group Limited, a London-based conglomerate operating as one of the largest chemical companies in the world. The automotive arm was formed in 2017 by INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who currently sits as chairman and CEO. Ratcliffe saw a gap in the market for high-performance 4×4 vehicles that are rugged and reliable.

That new entry began with its flagship combustion vehicle, the Grenadier, launched in 2022. INEOS has since launched a double-cab pickup version of the Grenadier and donned the Quartermaster, both of which are powered by combustion.

At the time, however, INEOS shared that a 4×4 EV powertrain was in the works, leading to today’s launch of its third model – the Fusilier. Developed with the help of Magna, INEOS’ first EV model looks cool, but it’s hard to believe its own creators have faith in its success unless you choose the range extender version that still requires gas.

INEOS unveils new Fusilier EV in London

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS head of design Toby Ecuyer were joined by former Top Gear co-host and TV personality Richard Hammond, from the Grenadier Pub in London, which had been renamed the Fusilier Pub, but only for today.

The gentlemen briefly mentioned the new INEOS EV alongside a quick launch video you can view below, but the stream took a baffling turn from there as the conversation shed its sheep’s clothing as sunk into an ode to the glory days of gas cars and how many problems EVs still give consumers, spoon fed to the audience. Some of which just wanted to learn about this exciting new INEOS EV.

There’s no argument that such a nascent and fast-growing segment is taking its fair share of lumps as the market tries to keep up and adapt, but it was an interesting coming from the team itself. I’ll dig into that later, but let’s focus on the potential of the new Fusilier 4×4.

As mentioned, the Fusilier will come in full BEV and BEV + range extender powertrain options to meet a broader range of consumers. During the livestream, Ratcliffe stated that the BEV version will offer about 400km (249 miles) of range, plus another 270km (168 miles) with the gas engine extender. The automotive chairman and CEO spoke:

As we developed this vehicle, we quickly concluded that in order to move towards decarbonization but continue making cars that consumers want to drive, we need a mix of powertrain technologies. BEVs are perfect for certain uses: shorter trips and urban deliveries, but industry and governments need to have realistic expectations around other technologies that can help accelerate the necessary pace of change. That is the reason we are offering an additional powertrain for the Fusilier, one that dramatically reduces emissions but has the range and refueling capabilities needed.

The new INEOS EV is smaller and more aerodynamic than its Grenadier sibling while offering a classic feel and tremendous off-road capability – two design pillars on the automotive sub-brand were built. The exterior features active grille shutters that can manage airflow and maximize range and 7″ circular LED lighting in the front and rear to match the other INEOS vehicles.

There was no mention of battery size, chemistry, or charging capabilities. Just a lot of talk about petrol, synthetic fuels, and even hydrogen. This automaker is owned by a massive fuel and lubricant manufacturer, by the way.

As with the Grenadier station wagon and Quartermaster pickup, the INEOS Fusilier was developed alongside Magna International and will likely be built at Magna Steyr in Austria, which is currently home to Mercedes G-Wagon and Fisker Ocean production.

INEOS said it will share details of the alternative powertrains this coming fall and when the new EV will officially launch and begin sales.

Electrek’s take

Listen, I know there’s still a vast world of ICE fans out there, and EVs in their current state don’t make the most sense financially or performance-wise for plenty of consumers yet. We will get there, and that’s fine. But there’s a time and a place for those conversations, and I’m no PR expert, but a live stream launch event is not the appropriate time to talk about the potential gas cars still … have in the tank (sorry, I had to).

Some of us got up long before sunrise to tune into this event in London and report back to a loyal audience of EV enthusiasts hoping to learn more about a genuinely cool-looking 4×4 EV from INEOS, not to hear emcee Richard Hammond not so subtly steer every question and comment away from the (inevitable) future of electrification and tee INEOS Automotive’s CEO up for opportunity after opportunity to spread doubt and misinformation about it.

At one point, Ratcliffe said, “There are still huge gains to be made in combustion engines.” Hammond cited some unnamed study that said by 2050, a vast majority of cars in Europe will still be combustion. Not any new vehicles, that’s for sure.

Whether those points end up being true (they won’t), it still begs the question, “Why are we talking about this right now?” This was a public launch of an ELECTRIC VEHICLE. It’s hard to instill confidence in a new EV model when INEOS’ own executives don’t want to talk about it on the day it’s unveiled.

INEOS’ design strategy is clearly still heavily focused on gas engines, and that’s fine. They will have an audience. But if you’re going to build an EV to offer consumers a broader range of options, don’t half-ass it. This community can sniff that out in a second (ahem, Mazda).

We want to know about the batteries, where the cells came from, the acceleration, torque, towing, and, of course, all of the cool software features inside. There was none of that, so forgive me if it’s hard to get excited about this one so far. INEOS has a lot to learn and a lot more to share about its new EV, which could have been done today. Instead, we will wait patiently for the next stream… although I’ll probably just skip it, stay in bed for another hour or so, then and go straight to the press release.

Source: INEOS Automotive

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Perplexity partners with PayPal for in-chat shopping as AI race heats up

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

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Perplexity partners with PayPal for in-chat shopping as AI race heats up

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

Perplexity is extending its bet on chat-powered shopping, aiming to stand out in the crowded generative artificial intelligence market against OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

The company said on Wednesday that it’s partnering with PayPal to let users make purchases directly in chat. U.S. customers will soon be able to book travel, buy products, and secure concert tickets without leaving the platform.

Payments will be completed in the chat with PayPal or Venmo, and PayPal will handle processing, shipping, tracking, and invoicing. Purchases will be completed with one click, with the help of the payment company’s passkey checkout.

“Perplexity wants to be wherever users are asking questions and making decisions,” said Ryan Foutty, Perplexity’s vice president of business. “Our vision for assistive AI is that everything just gets better and easier for people — wherever they are and however they prefer to make decisions.”

1 in 4 cars sold in 2025 will be EVs, and that’s just the beginning

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 2025

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1 in 4 cars sold in 2025 will be EVs, and that's just the beginning

BYD's-largest-car-transport-ship — BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car transport ship (Source: BYD)

More than 1 in 4 cars sold around the world in 2025 are expected to be EVs, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). And if EVs stay on track, they could make up over 40% of global car sales by 2030.

The IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2025 report, released today, shows the electric car market is still charging ahead, even with some bumps in the road. Despite economic pressures on the auto sector, EV sales hit a record 17 million in 2024, pushing their global market share past 20% for the first time. That momentum carried into early 2025, with EV sales jumping 35% in Q1 year-over-year. All major markets saw record-breaking Q1 numbers.

China continues to lead the EV race by a wide margin. Nearly half the cars sold there in 2024 were electric. That’s over 11 million EVs – more than the entire world sold just two years earlier. EV adoption is also booming in emerging markets across Asia and Latin America, where sales shot up by more than 60% last year.

In the US, EV sales grew about 10% year over year, with electric vehicles now making up over 10% of all new car sales. Meanwhile, Europe’s EV sales hit a plateau. As government incentives started to taper off, the continent’s market share held steady at around 20%.

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“Our data shows that, despite significant uncertainties, electric cars remain on a strong growth trajectory globally,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “Sales continue to set new records, with major implications for the international auto industry.”

One of the main drivers is lower prices. The average cost of a battery electric car dropped in 2024, thanks to increased competition and falling battery prices. In China, two-thirds of EVs sold last year were cheaper than their gas-powered counterparts, and that’s without subsidies. But in markets like the US and Germany, EVs are still pricier up front: around 30% more in the US, and 20% more in Germany.

Still, EVs win when it comes to operating costs. Even if oil drops to $40 per barrel, it’s still about half as expensive to charge and run an EV at home in Europe than to drive a gas car.

The report also notes the growing role of Chinese EV exports. About 20% of all EVs sold globally last year were imported. China, which produces over 70% of the world’s EVs, exported 1.25 million of them in 2024. These exports have helped push down prices in emerging markets.

And it’s not just electric cars that are on the rise. Electric truck sales jumped 80% globally last year, now making up nearly 2% of the truck market. Most of that growth came from China, where some heavy-duty electric trucks are already cheaper to run than diesel, even if the upfront cost is higher.

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Environment

April’s global EV sales were up 29% compared to a year ago, once again led by China

Published

14 hours ago

May 13, 2025

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April's global EV sales were up 29% compared to a year ago, once again led by China

Global research firm Rho Motion has shared its monthly global EV sales report for April, which details continued long-term growth. While global EV sales are down compared to March 2025, the year-over-year tally remains strong, despite uncertainty amid the threat of tariffs and trade wars.

Since merging with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence last June, Rho Motion has become one of the go-to platforms for data surrounding critical mineral and energy transition supply chains. Its monthly updates on market intelligence, including prices and sales data, are must-see research every time they’re published.

This month’s report is no different.

In March 2025, we reported that EV sales worldwide had surged to 1.7 million units, bringing the total to 4.1 million units for Q1. March marked a 40% increase compared to February 2025, and a 29% increase year-over-year.

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For April 2025, Global EV sales stumbled slightly compared to the prior month, but held steady in YoY growth.

April global EV sales fall MoM but rise YoY

According to Rho Motion’s latest report, global EV sales for April 2025 were 1.5 million units, bringing the year-to-date tally to 5.6 million NEVs (BEVs, PHEVs, and LDVs). April sales fell 12% compared to March 2025, but matched the previous month’s year-over-year growth at 29%.

Here’s how those 2025 global EV sales breakdown by region, compared to January to April 2024:

Global: 5.6 million, +29%
China: 3.3 million, +35%
Europe: 1.2 million, +25%
North America: 0.6 million, +5%
Rest of World: 0.5 million, +37%

As has been the case with every Rho Motion report we cover, China continues to lead the world in EV adoption despite sales dropping 9% month-over-month. Having recently visited the Shanghai Auto Show alongside some OEM visits in Hangzhou, I can see why adoption is moving more quickly. The number of available makes and models at affordable prices is incredible, and the technology you get for your money is downright staggering.

Even amongst ongoing talks of tariffs between global superpowers, including EV powerhouse China, EV sales continue to grow. Per Rho Motion data manager, Charles Lester:

Ongoing tariff negotiations are dominating talk in the electric vehicle industry but quietly, domestic manufacturers in China and the EU continue to perform well and grow market share. The EU is certainly the success story for EV sales in 2025 so far, with emissions targets lighting a fire under the industry to accelerate the switch to electric, they have grown the market by a quarter in the first third of the year. In China, that year on year sales increase is even greater at 35%, spurred on by the vehicle trade in scheme.

Europe, whose adoption numbers stumbled in 2024, has seen steady growth in EV adoption in 2025, landing second to China in sales growth last month (a 25% increase). This increase has been fueled by the increasing number of BEV and PHEV imports to the region from China from brands like BYD, ZEEKR, NIO, and XPeng.

North American sales have only grown by 5% in 2025, with Mexico leading the pack. The rest of the global EV market saw a 37% increase in sales, but those numbers only accounted for about half a million units.

Next time anyone tells you EV adoption is slowing down, you can just send them this data, because it is quite the contrary. Global EV sales continued to grow in April, and that trend should continue through 2025 and beyond.

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