Ford’s new electric car factory opens its doors. In fact, the new Electric Vehicle Center has been inaugurated in Cologne, a highly specialized production plant which will be based in Germany, where the new generation of electric cars of the Blue Oval will be built for millions of European customers. The site was built with an investment of two billion dollars which made it possible to reconvert the historic Niehl plant.
The new electrics in Cologne
Designed to be highly efficient, the site covers an area of 125 hectares and is equipped with a new production line, battery assembly and state-of-the-art equipment and automation, enabling an annual production capacity of more than 250,000 electric vehicles. Following the successes of the Mustang Mach-E, E-Transit and F-150 Lightning, Ford recently unveiled its fourth all-electric vehicle globally, the new Explorer, the first electric vehicle built in Cologne and to be followed by a second zero-emission model, a sporty crossover.
Zero emission plant
The Electric Vehicle Center in Cologne will be Ford’s first zero-emission assembly plant globally and supports the company’s plans to achieve carbon neutrality across its European manufacturing footprint, including logistics, by 2035 and suppliers. The opening of the Electric Vehicle Center is a new chapter in the long history of the Blue Oval plant in Cologne, which has been the heart of the European automotive industry since 1930. Iconic vehicles built on this site include the Ford Model A, Taunus, Capri, Granada and Fiesta.
Clean energy for the Ford Electric Vehicle Center
To achieve carbon neutrality, Ford will reduce energy use and emissions at the German plant through the installation of new processes, machinery and technologies. All the electricity and natural gas needed to operate the plant are carbon neutral, as they are 100% certified electricity and biomethane. The heat required to heat the plant and processes is emissions neutral, as the local energy supplier will offset the corresponding assembly plant emissions on behalf of Ford. The heat is generated by an external power plant and waste incineration plant and supplied to Ford through a dedicated steam network.
Cutting-edge technologies
The local energy supplier plans to reduce its operational emissions for heat supply by around 60% in 2026 and to be completely eliminated by 2035. As soon as it is fully operational, Ford’s Electric Vehicle Center in Cologne will be certified independently as carbon neutral. This independent certification will be verified and reconciled on a regular basis with the purchase of high quality carbon offsets for the remaining emissions. The technological upgrade of the Electric Vehicle Center in Cologne is accompanied by an improvement of biodiversity and green spaces in the existing factory area. The measures installed include new vegetation, the transformation of non-green areas into areas rich in vegetation and, therefore, an ideal habitat for many species of insects and birds.
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