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A European chemical giant’s foray into rugged vehicles will roll through Georgia en route to markets in the U.S.
Built in Hambach, France, by INEOS, a British chemical multinational with $21 billion in revenues in 2022, the Grenadier off-roader will be shipped out of Belgium, across the Atlantic and through the Colonel’s Island Terminal at the Port of Brunswick as deliveries begin later this year. The company’s sales network in the Southeast U.S. will include a node in Atlanta, according to a news release from the Georgia Ports Authority.
“Brunswick represents our tactical and geographical preferred location to cover our sales distribution network,” said Gabriel Pernia, planning and logistics director at INEOS Automotive Americas, in the release. “The port provides an extensive capacity for vehicle storage, processing and maritime cargo which helps to minimize total transit time and improve customer order deliveries.”
Plans call for the company to begin deliveries in Canada sometime this quarter, followed by Mexico by the middle of this year. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics is providing freight forwarding services for INEOS.
Unlike its vehicles, which will be used to find virgin trails, INEOS is following a well-worn path when it comes to clearing U.S. customs: two dozen major auto makers bring their cars in through Brunswick, the second busiest port in the nation for so-called Ro/Ro — or “roll-on/roll-off” cargo, like cars and tractors.
The ports authority, however, is not resting on its laurels and plans to spend $260 million to add 640,000 square feet of auto processing space and 122 more acres of car storage. The federal government recently gave the green light to plans to add a fourth berth that can accommodate 7,000-vehicle ships that the ports said are becoming industry-standard.
Inspired by the Land Rover Defender, the rugged throwback Grenadier is focused more on outdoor capabilities than its interior feel. Still, pricing starts at $71,500 in the U.S. — higher than the base model of the upmarket Defender of today. The company also plans to introduce the Fusilier, a smaller electric SUV, soon. Configure a Grenadier here.
