Ford Makes History in Cologne as Mass Production of Explorer Begins

COLOGNE, Germany – Ford today made history at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center as mass production of the all-electric Explorer got underway, watched by thousands of employees.

As the first vehicle rolled off the line it marked a milestone moment for the facility that has been transformed from an historic plant into a factory of the future following a $2 billion investment.

“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,” said Kieran Cahill, vice president, Manufacturing, Ford in Europe and International Markets Group.

“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.”

Explorer is the first vehicle to be produced at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, while a second EV, a new sports crossover, will be revealed shortly with production in Cologne starting later this year.

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 in Europe and International Markets Group-Werke GmbH.

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