INEOS Grenadiers enter active service with the RNLI

As part of a five-year partnership, INEOS Automotive is providing 20 Grenadier station wagons to the RNLI, to help volunteers position, launch and recover the charity’s D-class lifeboats. The Grenadiers will play a crucial role at locations where a robust, dependable vehicle is required to launch lifeboats straight from the beach, often traversing very soft or unstable ground and shallow water.

The RNLI’s Flint, Lytham, Morecambe and Seahouses stations are the first to receive their Grenadiers, for volunteers to use in preparation for and in the event of needing to launch the lifeboat to respond to an emergency at sea. The next batch of vehicles to enter service for the charity will be the most accomplished Grenadiers to date, with recent enhancements for 2026 models providing more assured and purposeful dynamic handling and enhanced safety equipment, without compromising its peerless off-road capability and performance. By August, a total of 12 lifeboat stations will have Grenadiers in operation.

Sam Barton – RNLI Engineer, said “After an extensive testing and evaluation period, working in conjunction with the specialist fleet team at INEOS Automotive, it’s clear that the Grenadier has the required robustness and durability to safely withstand the rigours of RNLI lifesaving activities. It has proved to be perfect for active service with minor modifications to suit RNLI operations, including installation of marine-standard radios, a larger front winch and roof mounted light bars for low-light lifesaving. Our volunteers have loved getting to know the Grenadier and have every confidence that it can be relied upon in their toughest moments.”

Tony Lewis - Head of Fleet Sales, INEOS Automotive, said: “Our partnership with the RNLI delivers on the core purpose of the Grenadier – built on purpose to support those working in the most extreme environments. From conception, it was envisaged that the Grenadier would have an important role to play in a wide range of search and rescue activities, so we look forward to expanding our support for the RNLI and other emergency services in the coming years.”

The INEOS Grenadier was launched in 2022 as a global 4X4 that combines rugged British spirit and design with German engineering rigour. Its body-on-frame construction provides huge versatility for customisation, which is now benefitting fire, police and rescue services in numerous countries around the world.

To find out more about the INEOS Grenadier, please visit www.ineosgrenadier.com

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.