Ford has opened its new Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, a hi-tech production facility in Niehl (Germany) that will build Ford’s new generation of electric passenger vehicles. The company has transformed its historic plant (founded in 1930) as part of a $2 billion investment and says this represents a major vote of confidence in skilled German manufacturing jobs and the future of automotive production in Europe.
The 125-hectare site features a brand-new production line, battery assembly, and ‘state of the art’ tooling and automation, thereby enabling an annual production capacity of 250,000-plus EVs. Following the success of Mustang Mach-E, E-Transit and F-150 Lightning, Ford recently unveiled its fourth EV globally, the electric Explorer, which will be the first electric vehicle to be produced in Cologne. This will be followed by a second electric vehicle — a sports crossover.
Furthermore, the Cologne EV Center will be Ford’s first carbon-neutral assembly plant to open globally and supports the company’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality across its entire European footprint of facilities, logistics and direct suppliers by 2035.
Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman, said: “Opening the Cologne EV Centre is the start of a new generation of clean manufacturing and electric vehicles in Europe. This facility will now be one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible plants in the entire industry.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz concluded: “The Electric Vehicle Centre represents a fresh start and is the largest investment in the company’s history at the Ford plant in Cologne. This is good news for Cologne, for the auto industry in Germany, for e-mobility and for the new era.”