As part of its Road to Better sustainability plan, Ford has opened the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, a hi-tech production facility in Germany that will build Ford’s new generation of electric vehicles for customers in Europe.

The Ford plant in Cologne has produced over 18 million since its founding in 1930 and has now been transformed as part of a $2 billion investment, providing manufacturing jobs for talented German manufacturers and engineers and becoming one of the major hubs for electric vehicle production. The first electric vehicle to be produced at the factory is the electric Explorer which will make use of the highly efficient, 125-hectare site’s brand new production line, battery assembly and state of the art tooling and automation.

Over the last 90 years, iconic vehicles like the Model A, Capri, Granada and Fiesta have been built in Cologne though, these will make way for the EV icons of the future. An annual production capacity of 250,000+ EVs is expected and following the success of the Mustang Mach-E, E-Transit and F-150 Lightning, the company is hoping to easily meet demand.

Ford will also embrace the latest innovative technology, supporting employees with new robots and augmented reality solutions to increase efficiency and data exchange with other sites across the world in real time.

Once fully operational, the Ford Cologne EV Center will be Ford’s first carbon neutral assembly plant, supporting the company’s commitment to be carbon neutral across all its European facilities by 2035. To achieve this, Ford will reduce the use of energy and emissions in the plant and instead install new machinery and technology, operating on renewable electricity and biomethane.

“Opening the Cologne EV Center is the start of a new generation of clean manufacturing and electric vehicles in Europe,” said Bill Ford, executive chair. “This facility will now be one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible plants in the entire industry. I am thrilled to continue working toward a zero emissions future for our children and grandchildren.”

Will other companies follow suit? Ford has made a big statement with its new plant in Germany and is making moves early in anticipation of emissions rule changes in the next decade.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Ford