Ford opens EV plant in Cologne

The U.S. automaker Ford has opened the Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, North Rhine-Westphalia's Premier Hendrik Wüst, and Cologne's Mayor Henriette Reker. In this high-tech plant in Cologne, the automaker will produce its latest generation of electric vehicles for the European market. The automaker has retrofitted its plant in Cologne-Niehl, where it has built vehicles since 1930, with investments of two billion US dollars for this new task. With this step, the company sees its confidence in Germany as a location, its skilled workforce, and the future of automotive production in Europe underscored.

"The opening of the Ford Cologne EV Center marks the beginning of a new generation of clean production processes and electric vehicles in Europe. This plant will be one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly in the entire automotive industry," explains William Clay Ford Jr., Executive Chair of Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of the company's founder Henry Ford, at the opening in Cologne.

The Electric Vehicle Center stands for a new beginning and is the largest investment in the history of the Cologne Ford plant. This is good news for the Cologne location, for car production in Germany, for e-mobility, and for the new beginning, emphasized Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the occasion of the opening.

"With the opening of the Electromobility Center, crucial decisions for climate-neutral mobility are being made. Additionally, the investment underscores North Rhine-Westphalia's strength as a research and economic location. We want to develop our state into one of the leading locations for the mobility of the future in Europe and make it climate-neutral by 2045," added North Rhine-Westphalia's Premier Hendrik Wüst.

The 125-hectare site is designed for high efficiency, corresponding to a high degree of automation in the production line and battery assembly. The factory enables the production of more than 250,000 electric vehicles per year. The first model produced here will be the battery-electric Ford Explorer, which the manufacturer recently introduced as its fourth electric vehicle worldwide after the successful Mustang Mach-E, E-Transit, and F-150 Lightning models. The upcoming electric sport crossover will also roll off the assembly line in Cologne. Additionally, the factory is Ford's first CO2-neutral vehicle production facility in the world. By 2035, all factories, their logistics, and direct suppliers are expected to operate in a CO2-neutral manner.

From Model A to the new battery-electric Explorer

The factory has been considered a cornerstone of the European automotive industry since 1930, producing vehicle icons such as the Ford Model A, Taunus, Capri, Granada, and Fiesta. In the more than 90 years since its founding, Ford has built over 18 million cars at its Cologne plant. "Our EV Center in Cologne marks the beginning of a new era for Ford in Europe," emphasizes Martin Sander, General Manager of Ford Model e Europe. Digital technologies that connect machines, vehicles, and employees are crucial. Self-learning machines, autonomous transport systems, and real-time big data management optimize and continuously improve the efficiency of production processes. Nevertheless, the aim is to further develop the skills of the workforce at the plant rather than replace them. New cognitive and collaborative robots and augmented reality solutions are intended to assist. This not only increases efficiency but also optimizes data exchange with other plants, which will share experiences with each other in real-time in the future.