Manchester United’s new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe on Friday unveiled the Ineos group’s latest 4×4 vehicle, which will be available in two electric versions, as the British billionaire criticized the range limits of “green” cars.
The Ineos Fusilier, which should start production in 2027 rather than 2026 as planned, will be a slightly smaller version of the Ineos Grenadier — and it comes as it works on a second model, the Grenadier Quartermaster truck.
Ratcliffe, 71, earlier this week completed a deal to become part owner of Manchester United, promising to lead the English football giants to new success.
Asked by AFP at Friday’s launch about his off-the-pitch plans at United, including a stadium rebuild, Ratcliffe replied: “The focus with Manchester United is very simple, that’s performance on the pitch.”
One of Britain’s richest men thanks to Ineos’ core chemicals business, Ratcliffe has turned the group in recent years into a conglomerate, owning soccer and cycling teams — and making vehicles.
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On Friday, he noted that subsidiary Ineos Automotive’s desire to produce zero-carbon cars was hampered by how far they could travel without recharging.
“Huge damage to the electric car”
That’s why the Fusilier would come in two versions, Ratcliffe announced — one all-electric model and the other a range-extender type that would carry both a battery with a generator and a fuel tank.
Ratcliffe told a press conference gathered in a central London pub that his personal preference was the latter version.
“The big problem I have with the (all) electric vehicle … it has two huge failings,” he said shortly after unveiling the blue car outside The Grenadier pub which has been renamed The Fusilier for the event.
“It doesn’t get you from A to B if you want to make a decent journey. It does the urban stuff very well… (but) you can’t fill it up. Those are two major disadvantages of an electric car.”
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Ratcliffe added: “My personal strong preference is the same electric vehicle but with extended range.”
Ineos said the new model will be developed in collaboration with car supplier Magna, which will build the vehicle at its facility in Graz, Austria.
It was initially thought that the car would be produced in France.
Source: AFP