Ineos is the latest carmaker to delay the launch of an electric model. Citing a drop in demand for EVs and tariffs-related concerns, the British company announced that the Fusilier it unveiled in 2024 as a smaller alternative to the Grenadier won’t enter production in 2027 as planned.
“We are delaying the launch of the Ineos Fusilier for two reasons: reluctant consumer uptake of EVs and industry uncertainty around tariffs, timings, and taxation. There needs to be long-term clarity from policymakers,” the company told industry trade journal Automotive News Europe (subscription required) in an emailed statement. It didn’t provide a new timeline, so it’s too early to tell when the SUV will launch.
While technical specifications weren’t announced during the unveiling, Ineos said it planned to offer two variants of the Fusilier: an electric model and a version powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that relies on a small, gasoline-burning engine as a range extender. There’s no word yet on whether both drivetrains have been delayed, or if the plug-in model will enter production by the end of 2027 as expected.
As of writing, Ineos has only shown the Fusilier as a design mock-up and as a series of computer-generated images — the model features rugged styling and looks like a scaled-down Grenadier. It sounds like the EV was delayed relatively early in the development process. Austrian engineering firm and contract manufacturer Magna had already been enlisted to help design and build the SUV, however. This is the same company that makes the Grenadier — it also builds the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Toyota Supra, among other models.
Ineos should provide more details about what the future holds for the Fusilier project in the coming months. In the meantime, the brand has started building its first pickup, the Grenadier-based Quartermaster, in the Hambach, France, factory that used to make the Smart car.
The unstable EV market and a tariffs war have forced the majority of carmakers to rejig their launch plans in recent months. Volvo recently delayed the launch of the EX30 to 2025 “due to changes in the global automotive landscape.” Nissan stopped developing a pair of electric sedans “until further notice” and postponed a $500 million investment in its Canton, Mississippi, plant meant to turn the facility into an EV hub. Volkswagen’s ID.7 has been indefinitely delayed, Ford delayed two EVs, and General Motors is delaying additional EV production.