Project Grenadier: INEOS Automotive and AKKA team up to develop a new 4×4 off-roader

AKKA’ subsidiary MBtech has been awarded a major contract for the comprehensive development of a new 4×4 off-road vehicle by British chemicals and energy giant INEOS.

The combination of leading automotive engineering expertise and a 20-year legacy as a project partner for the development of complete, high quality vehicles have been a major factor in the commissioning of the partnership.

INEOS Chairman Jim Ratcliffe, a car enthusiast and experienced adventurer, first conceived of founding an automotive business back in 2015, when the end of production for the Land Rover Defender was announced. He saw a commercial opportunity, to fill a gap in the market- a gap for a practical, uncompromising, hard-working 4×4 honouring the spirit of the 4×4 pioneers while delivering a major step forward in terms of quality and reliability. “Projekt Grenadier” is named for the London pub in which the project idea was born, and was therefore a fitting location for the signing of this contract.

The contract marks the beginning of the research and development phase for the project, with first cars due to be produced in late 2020. From spring 2018, over 200 engineers from the AKKA Group will be working on making the vision of INEOS Automotive a reality: to create an iconic, uncompromising offroader.

AKKA will play a leading role in development and help deliver Project Grenadier within a tight schedule.
The Group’s automotive experts and engineers will be in charge of all aspects of the vehicle project management. They will ensure the delivery to time and budget of a robust, reliable and uncompromising 4×4. The first prototypes will be built at the company’s development workshop in Sindelfingen as early as 2018, with the aim of bringing the first vehicles into series production in 2020. The INEOS Automotive team in London will also be ramping up in parallel.