{"id":34258,"date":"2025-03-19T17:19:55","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T21:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34258"},"modified":"2025-03-19T17:19:55","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T21:19:55","slug":"how-ineos-got-a-gas-fired-startup-automaker-off-the-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/how-ineos-got-a-gas-fired-startup-automaker-off-the-ground","title":{"rendered":"How Ineos got a gas-fired, startup automaker off the ground"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Aspen, Colorado<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The early 21<sup>st<\/sup>\u00a0century auto market has experienced a flurry of startup automakers not seen in a century. Following in the footsteps of Tesla Inc., new battery-powered vehicle makers have been inspired by a new electric market, government EV mandates, and fat taxpayer subsidies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Startup, internal-combustion-engine-fired automaker Ineos Automotive Ltd. is an exception.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Brit brand sees an opportunity in a different niche market as it brings its straight-6-cylinder-powered Grenadier SUV and Quartermaster pickup to the ring in the hot, premium, off-road segment competing against heavyweights like Land Rover Defender, GMC Canyon AT4, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Ford Bronco Raptor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/03\/18\/PDTN\/82519177007-ineos-lynn-calderproduct.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Ineos CEO Lynn Calder on the British off-road startup's journey: \u201cIf it were easy, everyone would be doing it.&quot;\" width=\"506\" height=\"337\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Ineos CEO Lynn Calder on the British off-road startup's journey: \u201cIf it were easy, everyone would be doing it.&quot;\" data-c-credit=\"Stan Papior, Ineos\">\n<p><em>Ineos CEO Lynn Calder on the British off-road startup&#8217;s journey: \u201cIf it were easy, everyone would be doing it.&amp;quot; Stan Papior, Ineos<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Like its fresh-faced EV peers, Ineos is jumping into the world\u2019s most ferociously competitive consumer market with a team of risk-takers who believe their product offers a unique answer to consumer needs. The Ineos story is one of overcoming the mountain-sized hurdles of design, funding, manufacturing, marketing and regulation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIf it were easy everyone would be doing it. We see a lot of people try and fail and I can completely see why,\u201d said Lynn Calder, Ineos\u2019 45-year old, Scottish-born CEO in an interview. \u201cIt\u2019s an extremely complex business that has probably never been as complex as it is right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Unlike its EV peers, Ineos entered the market the old-fashioned way: without government assistance, without the need to build its own fueling infrastructure, and with faith in the traditional franchise dealer market to connect with customers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cElectric is having its moment, and it\u2019s got its place in the mix of powertrain needs for the customer, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s everything,\u201d Calder added. \u201cWe see an opportunity for a pure-blood, very mechanical, very capable off-road vehicle that (is) different than all the other cars on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Ineos\u2019 journey stated a decade ago with petrochemical industrial billionaire and adventure seeker Sir Jim Ratcliffe talking with veteran South African guide Charles Van Rensburg about the void created by Land Rover when it discontinued its truck-based, off-road vehicle. The rugged Defender (reborn in 2020 as a unibody SUV) was the cornerstone of African safari adventures.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/03\/18\/PDTN\/82519172007-ineos-grenadier-quartermasterassembly.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Ineos Quartermaster pickup and its SUV sibling, the Grenadier, are assembled in France.\" width=\"510\" height=\"340\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Ineos Quartermaster pickup and its SUV sibling, the Grenadier, are assembled in France.\" data-c-credit=\"Ineos\">\n<p><em>The Ineos Quartermaster pickup and its SUV sibling, the Grenadier, are assembled in France. Ineos<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe could see the gap in the market as vehicles were stepping away from that pure, go-anywhere 4&#215;4,\u201d said Ratcliffe\u2019s son, George, who resides in New Jersey as Ineos\u2019 president of the Americas. \u201cEveryone was moving to SUVs and becoming street-only cars. That was the seed of our idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\">\n<p><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Grenadier SUV was born in its namesake \u2014 the Grenadier Pub in London \u2014 a favorite hangout of the Ratcliffes and Ineos employees. The dirt-kicker\u2019s distinctive, macho shape was then penned in 2018 by famed yacht designer and Ratcliffe pal Toby Ecuyer. Ineos survived a lawsuit from Land Rover in 2020 claiming the company had stolen its boxy design, then bought an assembly plant from Mercedes in the eastern French city of Hambach.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/03\/19\/PDTN\/82547849007-ineos-grenadier-rr-34-snow.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The idea for the 2025 Ineos Grenadier was birthed in the Grenadier Pub in England by Ineos Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, an avid safari adventurer.\" width=\"507\" height=\"286\" \/><em>The idea for the 2025 Ineos Grenadier was birthed in the Grenadier Pub in England by Ineos Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, an avid safari adventurer. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The idea for the 2025 Ineos Grenadier was birthed in the Grenadier Pub in England by Ineos Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, an avid safari adventurer.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">With Magna International Inc. (which also makes the Mercedes G-Class and Jaguar i-Pace in Europe) as its industrial partner, BMW AG providing engines and ZF providing gearboxes, Ineos set out to sell in 50 markets with an eye on the biggest prize: the USA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe heritage of our story, the entrepreneurial aspect to it\u201d has real appeal, said CEO Calder, noting iconic auto executives in the United States like Henry Ford and Elon Musk. \u201cSir Jim Ratcliffe funded this, designed it, developed it. This is his car. And I think Americans really champion entrepreneurs that do really cool things and stick their neck out and succeed. I think that really resonates in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">On paper, the business model had back story, business partners and secure funding from Ineos\u2019s parent petrochemical company. \u201cIneos appeals to bus boys and billionaires. It offers a tough mage even if it never goes off-road,\u201d said Allison Worldwide auto analyst Rebecca Lindland, herself a veteran of Fisker Automotive\u2019s (failed) EV startup. \u201cMagna has consistently built high-quality vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Calder smiled: \u201cThat was the easy part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Scot joined the Ineos automotive team as CEO in late 2022 as the brand struggled to organize production. A university-trained economist, Calder had extensive experience in private equity and nine years as CEO of Ineos\u2019 composites subsidiary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt\u2019s systems, it\u2019s people, it\u2019s relationships,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone thinks it\u2019s about getting the system to deliver the right part at the right time. But if you don\u2019t have your supply base knowing what you are trying to achieve, and you don\u2019t communicate with them sufficiently? You need to build relationships and spend time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That meant consolidating a diaspora of Ineos employees \u2014 supply team in Germany, buyers in Portugal \u2014 to join production workers at Hambach\u2019s \u201ccoal face,\u201d Calder\u2019s English slang for vehicle assembly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">She also made the decision \u2014 against the industry trend \u2014 to distribute Ineos vehicles through traditional dealer networks. As other luxury startups like Tesla, Lucid Motors and Rivian Automotive Inc. pursued innovative, in-house retail outlets, industry consultants told Ineos that manufacturer-led distribution was the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cBMW, Mercedes, everyone was going to it,\u201d Calder said. \u201cWhereas we had the chance to come in from the ground up. It was a persuasive argument, it was of its time. But we just learned that it is not the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Ineos has built a network of 30 franchise dealers in the United States, including in Michigan, where Feldman Automotive Group has opened a dealership in Waterford Township. Calder said U.S. demand has been strong, already accounting for 60% of global sales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWhere we are really excelling is in the U.S. where traditional dealers know how to sell cars,\u201d said Ineos\u2019 chief. \u201cThey do it very well, they look after their customers really well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Coupled with distribution, Ineos also had to put in place a marketing plan so its voice could be heard above the cacophony of multi-million-dollar consumer ad campaigns. That was not an easy ask of a petrochemical giant, a company that had made its fortune in business-to-business sales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe world needs to understand just how complex (the auto) industry is compared to B2B,\u201d said Calder, noting that Ineos&#8217; only other consumer ventures were a small cleaning supplies company and a sportswear maker. \u201cIt\u2019s great that we are manufacturing a car, but if nobody knows where we are, nobody is going to buy it. We are learning a new trade, a new, magic black art of marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In an industry where big players spend \u201ca few hundred million a year\u201d on brand advertising, Calder said Ineos has focused on targeted social media and sponsoring events like Olympic superstar Shaun White\u2019s Snow League pro snowboard competition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Hanging over these complex operational details is the constantly shifting climate of government regulation and trade policy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt\u2019s insane. It\u2019s important for the industry to be regulated, (but) there is something about this particular industry that has gone a bit mad,\u201d Calder said of, in particular, European emissions regulations that are on target to ban internal-combustion engines like that used by Ineos by 2035 \u2014 with the United Kingdom threatening a 2030 ban.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe policy is all wrong. In Europe and the UK right now they want it to be one-size-fits-all, and it\u2019s breaking the industry and it\u2019s not doing consumers any favors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The regulatory environment means Ineos \u2014 as well as its petrochemical parent that is also under pressure from regulators \u2014 has to divert resources to government lobbying. But Calder said it\u2019s the \u201cconsumer that speaks at the end of the day. My view is the government stance in Europe . . . is not 10 years in the future, it is tomorrow, relatively speaking. And they are going to have to accept it\u2019s just not going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">She takes solace in the transition to President Donald Trump in the United States, Ineos\u2019 biggest market, and the move towards deregulation. But the Trump administration\u2019s tariff policies brings other challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201c(Tariffs are) a huge worry particularly the levels (Trump) is talking about. We could absorb (a small) tariff giving the size of this market. But the levels that have been imposed on Mexico and Canada \u2014 which are in line with the &#8216;chicken tax&#8217;\u00a0\u2014 would basically mean our cars would be dis-incentivized,\u201d she said. The chicken tax is the 25% tariff the United States already levies on imports of light-duty trucks from outside North America; Ineos is paying the tax on its Quartermaster pickups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In the end, Calder hoped U.S. tariff threats will level the playing field and reduce tariffs between the United States and Europe. The European Union currently levels a 10% duty on U.S. auto imports, which is significantly higher than the 2.5% U.S. tariff on (non-pickup) vehicles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cMy view is Trump is a negotiator, and he\u2019s talking about 25% because he says (trade is) unfair and you need to do something about it,\u201d Calder said. \u201cMy hope is Europe will to come to the table; that is a better outcome. I think all (Trump) wants is parity, so . . . \u00a0everything is 2.5%.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That\u2019s a lot on the menu for a startup automaker. The upside, Calder said with a smile, \u201cis the most satisfying job I\u2019ve had. My team and I have a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s fun that Ineos hopes translates to its unique 4&#215;4 products. \u201cThe Grenadier and Quartermaster are a celebration of the choice that\u2019s in the U.S. auto market today,\u201d said analyst Lindland. \u201cThey show that customers still want individual, customized, gas-powered cars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aspen, Colorado\u00a0\u2014 The early 21st\u00a0century auto market has experienced a flurry of startup automakers not seen in a century. Following in the footsteps of Tesla Inc., new battery-powered vehicle makers have been inspired by a new electric market, government EV mandates, and fat taxpayer subsidies. Startup, internal-combustion-engine-fired automaker Ineos Automotive Ltd. is an exception. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34258"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34258"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34259,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34258\/revisions\/34259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}