Hybrid or hydrogen for future 4WDs and utes? Ineos weighs in on low-emissions future in the off-road space for its Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series rivalling Grenadier

Electrifying off-road vehicles is more of a challenge than it is for on-road ones. Not only do big touring rigs have to worry about additional capabilities, but the distances most buyers travel require long range capabilities.

There are several attempts being made to move off-roaders in a lower emissions direction, though.

Brands such as GWM and BYD are moving quickly toward plug-in hybrid or range-extender hybrid solutions, while others looking further into the future are leaning on hydrogen fuel cells, which offer long driving ranges, but require more infrastructure to support them.

So where does niche off-road specialist Ineos sit?

The newcomer brand, which is laser-focused on providing a classic off-road experience faces immediate challenges in Australia, as it launches with six-cylinder traditional combustion engines. This is just as our government gets serious on emissions with its New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which make it tougher to comply high emissions vehicles every year until 2030.

Speaking to CarsGuide, Ineos’ local director Justin Hocevar, explained where the brand sits, and how it will deal with a new lower emissions regulatory environment.

“We’ll have a trajectory of development. Here in Australia we’re running Euro 6 engines already where others are still running Euro 5, and we’ll have a progression toward Euro 7.

“That’s probably going to see the likes of mild hybrid (MHEV) introduced into the technical configuration of these vehicles, but combustion will remain the foreseeable future of Grenadier.”

It appears the Grenadier won’t move to more radical drivetrain solutions such as plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or range extender hybrids (REX), in the latter the wheels aren’t attached to the engine but are driven solely by an electric motor and the engine is used as a generator. Hocevar pointed to the Fusilier concept as an example of the brand dabbling in that space in the future.

Ineos has put a pause on the launch of the smaller Fusilier as demand for more radically electrified powertrains has slowed in Europe and the US.

He did confirm Ineos was still full steam ahead on hydrogen as a power source, saying it would be the right fit in Australia due to our long distances and penchant for towing and loading up with cargo.

Ineos has certain advantages in the hydrogen space over others carmakers, though.

“As an energy and chemical company, Ineos has an insight into what energy markets look like, and what that looks like for fuel and mobility, perhaps more so than even [car manufacturers] have, so whilst we have the prototype FCEV vehicle, we know we can commercialise the technology if need be. The issue is the infrastructure doesn’t [yet] exist.”

“My personal view is that Australia is a market right for that type of technology, we’re very heavily reliant on heavy transport - when you go down to light transport, there are people out there who are hauling a 3.5 tonne caravan around the country, that’s the grey nomad lifestyle - if you’re going to haul heavy and travel far you need a fuel which is capable of doing that. We can’t limit people’s access appropriate mobility to support work or leisure.”

Hydrogen fuel cells weigh about the same amount as a diesel engine and a small amount of fuel can allow long distance travel. The Hyundai Nexo, for example, can travel over 650km on just 6.33kg of hydrogen fuel.

Fuel cell utes and light trucks can also maintain their high payload and tow ratings, without needing to add hundreds of kilos of batteries on board, making FCEV an ideal replacement for diesel where battery electrics are a better replacement for petrol.

Don’t expect to be able to buy a fuel-cell Grenadier any time soon, though. Despite a fully functional concept already existing, Hocevar warns the technology is not likely to be viable in mass market models until 2030 or beyond.

“2030 is a little too soon. From a tech point of view, absolutely we can do it, but the infrastructure just isn’t there.”

He said the brand is wary of misinformation around the technology on the market, and that future production of truly zero-emissions hydrogen was key to making the fuel more viable for vehicles in the future.

“The political narrative around hydrogen just isn’t in the right space. There’s a sunk energy cost in grey hydrogen, there’s blue hydrogen out there too, but we want to use green hydrogen. Ineos (the parent chemical company) is producing green hydrogen in Europe. I think when we can get that green hydrogen online, it will be a lot more available.”

Most hydrogen fuel around the world is produced as a byproduct of natural gas extraction. This is called grey hydrogen and is collected during a process called steam reforming, which carries an emissions burden. Some facilities then capture the emissions from this process and either use them or bury them, dubbed blue hydrogen, The holy grail for the fuel is emissions-free green hydrogen generation, using an electrolyser powered by renewables to separate it from water.

Hydrogen as a fuel is significantly less energy efficient than powering batteries directly, it has the advantage of being able to be stored long term, and cost-wise has the potential to scale significantly better than batteries. It can also be produced away from the main power grid, stored and then shipped to locations where it can either be used to support the power grid, or as a fuel for vehicles.

The upfront infrastructure costs to support the technology are massive, and there have been some significant drawbacks to development of the tech recently in Australia, with two of our nation’s biggest projects being wound back or put on hold, including one by Fortescue Mining and another by a joint-venture between Origin energy and chemicals company Orica.

Fortescue and Origin cited high risk due to input costs and technology advancements required to bring the technology to appropriate scale.

Still, many companies around the world continue pushing down the hydrogen route, with Hyundai going so far as to proclaim it will make South Korea the world’s first hydrogen society.

Ineos Automotive will continue to work with BMW, a brand that is also heavily investing in hydrogen fuel cell tech. The Bavarian marque recently toured its fuel-cell powered X5 SUV around the world, with a stop in Australia to allow the media to test drive the vehicle and explain its investment in hydrogen fuel cells.

BMW’s fuel cell is an upgraded version of a unit built by Toyota for its Mirai sedan, featuring higher power outputs and an improved supporting battery system allowing a stable 295kW to be sent to its electric motor.

BMW expects at least one hydrogen vehicle to be a part of its line-up before 2030 as the technology develops in Europe.