- Ineos wants to sell up to 250,000 vehicles annually by the early 2030s.
- Demand for the Grenadier and Grenadier Quartermaster is on the rise.
- The Quartermaster is subject to the 25 percent ‘chicken tax’ in the US.
Ineos Automotive has been considering a US factory for several years, and with expansion plans taking shape, America is moving higher on its agenda. While it has not committed to local production, the company aims to grow global sales, aided in part by a smaller, more affordable model known as the Fusilier.
The British company, founded by chemicals billionaire James Ratcliffe after Land Rover killed off the previous-generation Defender, currently sells its Grenadier SUV and Grenadier Quartermaster pickup in more than 50 markets worldwide.
Read: Ineos Tries To Civilize The 2026 Grenadier, But It’s Still A Savage
The US accounts for about 60 percent of its sales and is expected to play a pivotal role as the company targets annual volumes of between 200,000 and 250,000 by the early 2030s.
“With our models having a huge appeal to the U.S. market, we should make it there, and that would make the most sense to us,” Ineos chief executive Lynn Calder told CNBC. “So, absolutely, we are fully looking at options for producing in the U.S.”
The Answer To Tariffs And Taxes
During the first quarter of this year, Ineos reports it received 20 percent more orders than in the same period last year. Interest in the Grenadier has grown among fleet buyers, particularly in Germany, Spain, and France, where it is used for fire and rescue services, and in the US, where it has found a role as a rental vehicle.
The competitiveness of the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster is constrained by the 25 percent chicken tax on imported trucks. Prices currently start at $84,400, though local production could bring that figure down considerably.
Forming a car company isn’t easy, and making one profitable is even harder. While Ineos Automotive has yet to reach profitability, Carter says it’s on track to “make it to breakeven,” without needing “very much more sales.”
“We’ve been quietly getting on, building a company, getting things right, learning as a new startup … to get to the stage where we’re ready to grow,” Ineos chief commercial officer Mike Whittington added. “And that’s kind of where we are now.”
Ineos had put its smaller Fusilier SUV on ice in mid-2024, citing a drop in interest in all-electric SUVs like it. However, the firm recently said it’s now actively pursuing a model to sit below the Grenadier, likely to take the shape of the Fusilier.
