As Ford aims to go all-electric in its passenger vehicle lineup across Europe by 2030 or sooner, a big component of that plan is the conversion of some of its existing plants for the production of EVs. That includes the Cologne Assembly plant in Germany, which has been undergoing a remodel that will see it transform into the Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center following a rather large investment. That process kicked off back in August 2021, with big changes marking its progress, including the discontinuation of the Fiesta, along with the debut of the all-electric Ford Explorer, which will be built alongside another yet-to-be-revealed crossover riding on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. Now, the new, high-tech Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center is officially open.
FoMoCo ultimately invested a grand total of $2 billion in the Cologne plant – which originally opened way back in 1930 – to transform it into an efficient, high-tech facility capable of churning out more than 250,000 all-electric vehicles each year. It’s also Ford’s very first carbon-neutral assembly plant, helping the automaker further its mission to become completely carbon-neutral in Europe by 2035.
Along with cognitive, collaborative robots and augmented reality solutions, the Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center utilizes a host of cutting-edge tech to compliment its human workforce, including self-learning machines, autonomous transport systems, a brand new production line, battery assembly, and state-of-the-art tooling and automation. These processes are designed to work in harmony to maximize efficiency, starting with the production of the new Explorer, which will be joined by its MEB-based counterpart soon.
“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.”
We’ll have more on the Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
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