Ford has turned a historic plant into a factory of the future with a $2 billion investment, and as a result, it has begun mass production of the new all-electric Ford Explorer at its first special EV facility in Europe.
An important first step towards creating a new line of superior electric passenger cars for the area is the electric Ford Explorer, which is the first car to leave the assembly line at the Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Centre. A new sports crossover, the second electric vehicle, will soon be unveiled, and later this year, production will begin in Cologne.
The new all-electric Explorer combines German engineering, American attitude and superior standard specification that includes battery electric powertrains for zero-tailpipe emissions while driving – and more than 600km driving range on a single charge. 1
Kieran Cahill, vice president, Manufacturing, Ford in Europe and International Markets Group, said, “To see the Cologne factory founded by Ford in 1930 being transformed into a state-of-the-art electric vehicle production facility is nothing short of amazing. The start of mass production of electric vehicles, with the new all-electric Explorer, marks the beginning of a new era for Ford in Europe.”
The Cologne Electric Vehicle Center is equipped with cutting-edge AI and a symphony of hundreds of carefully choreographed state-of-the-art robots that will deliver a new generation of high quality EVs in Europe. The plant’s ‘digital twin’ monitors and supports production line operators to deliver high quality standards.
The Cologne Electric Vehicle Center is supported by self-learning machines and more than 600 new robots that execute welding, cutting, dusting, painting and fusing tasks, in a complex ballet to ensure precision, efficiency and quality.
A new control centre monitors the entire assembly process in real time – right down to the quantity of every part and nut at each workstation. The plant’s ‘digital twin’ is displayed via a giant touchscreen containing all workstations with information on tooling, material delivery, work safety and more. With small touchscreens employees on the line provide further information on the status of their workplace.
“By monitoring and controlling every step of the manufacturing process, Ford will achieve unprecedented levels of quality for our customers,” said Rene Wolf, managing director, Manufacturing, Ford-Werke GmbH.
The Cologne Electric Vehicle Center is one of Ford’s most efficient vehicle assembly plants globally, supported by significant reductions in emissions, water usage and energy consumption.
Ford is working towards implementing a carbon neutrality pathway for the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center. With production now underway, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data will be monitored and recorded for independent certification according to the latest international standards. Within this carbon neutrality pathway, Ford will continuously improve carbon efficiency and reduce GHG emissions towards a residual level.
Click Here to get the latest EV news and exclusive updates from EV Mechanica on WhatsApp!