In Europe, people take genuine summer season vacations. Europeans get a lot of time off. As some Europeans I understood were fond of declaring, they get the job done to stay, they never live to operate. European manufacturing unit workers at the Cologne Ford factory in Germany are making the most of a nice lengthy summertime family vacation (aka vacation), but perform is in fact not halting at the web page. Rather, construction and remodeling teams are reworking the manufacturing facility in purchase to prepared it for production of a new electric powered design.
Ford has an fascinating place in the European electric powered auto industry. Its Ford Kuga PHEV is a single of the only plugin hybrids on the continent’s listing of the top rated 20 most effective promoting plugin automobiles on the sector, and the Kuga PHEV was even next in May throughout the continent (6th in the first 5 months of the yr). It is clearly the most prosperous plugin hybrid on the market at the minute. The Mustang Mach-E was also fairly well known there for a even though, but Ford has manufacturing ability for only so a lot of of them, so it’s hard to know how significantly demand from customers there could be. The essential issue, however, is that Ford could possibly sell a whole lot of price tag-competitive, mass-market electrical crossovers — and that appears to be the strategy.
“We have to established up a entirely new output line for the new all-electrical crossover,” suggests Ford Preparing Supervisor Dr. Darko Drazic. “We are applying the organization holidays to thrust in advance with the conversion to the Electrification Heart at entire velocity.” The new electrical Ford model will go into production in 2023. In this article are a couple of a lot more notes from Ford on the factory conversion venture:
- In the paint shop by yourself, considerable conversion get the job done is remaining carried out on 45 development sites. New systems will ensure improved performance in the long term, save all-around 2,000 tons of CO 2 per year and minimize electricity use by close to 2,600 megawatt several hours
- Building perform for the two new production halls that are currently being created for the Cologne Electrification Heart on the manufacturing facility premises is just about finish
- In the entire body shop, as properly as in the other output locations, the Fiesta generation is becoming redesigned in purchase to crank out absolutely free house for the new facilities.
The Fiesta has been developed on two generation lines in Cologne, but one particular of these is now currently being “completely dismantled.”
New robots in the paint shop. Image courtesy of Ford.
Ford notes that it is also adding a good deal more automation with the new creation line for the electrical crossover. Whereas 4 robots tightened 6 screws in the Fiesta production, they will have the process of fastening 53 screws on the new electric model.
A lot of more information on the factory revamp can be considered right here. As portion of that, Ford is making the production procedures a great deal a lot more economical and sustainable. “The sustainability facet is specially vital to Ford when changing to the Cologne Electrification Heart. It contributes to an overarching company objective: by 2035, Ford desires to be climate-neutral at all European spots — not only in manufacturing, but also in logistics and in the supply chain.”
The conversion job is not a low cost expenditure either. It is estimated to charge €2 billion (that is billion with a “b”). Push releases and bold statements are one detail, but placing authentic income revenue down is what exhibits a organization is really significant, and this €2 billion is no smaller expenditure. “This is the major investment decision in the 91-yr record of the Cologne Ford functions,” Ford states. In addition to the electric powered crossover mentioned above, a very little little bit further down the highway, Ford will start generating a different electric powered auto at the Cologne Electrification Middle. “The very first all-electric powered model will roll off the assembly line at Ford’s initial Electrification Heart in Europe from 2023, and a next electrical model will comply with from 2024. Ford designs to generate 1.2 million units of these two electric models inside of six decades.” Some rough math implies that Ford designs to market far more than 100,000 models of each of individuals electric powered products each and every yr.
As reported in February 2021 when Ford made the announcement, the Detroit-dependent automaker strategies to provide only 100% electric powered vehicles in Europe by 2030. At the time of that announcement, Ford indicated it would expend $1 billion on the new Cologne Electrification Center. This more current announcement puts the figure at €2 billion ($2.03 billion). A further point declared along with the February 2021 press launch was that Ford would make its first electric powered model from this Cologne Electrification Heart in 2023. That does seem to be to line up well with Ford’s recent plans. Also, the pursuing are some other targets from the automaker:
- By mid-2026, 100% of its passenger vehicle models will be zero emissions capable, fully electric or plug-in hybrid.
- By 2024, 100% of Ford’s industrial car or truck designs will be zero emissions capable, entirely electric or plug-in hybrid.
- By 2030, “two-thirds of commercial car gross sales predicted to be all-electrical or plug-in hybrid.“
“Our announcement now to transform our Cologne facility, the home of our operations in Germany for 90 a long time, is just one of the most considerable Ford has manufactured in around a technology. It underlines our determination to Europe and a modern day upcoming with electrical vehicles at the heart of our system for expansion,” Stuart Rowley, president of Ford of Europe, noted back in February 2021.
At the time of that announcement, it was also highlighted how vital it was that Ford was demonstrating its motivation to an electrical long term, and operating to revamp its world business on the backs of electrical cars.
“Our announcement currently to rework our Cologne facility, the house of our operations in Germany for 90 decades, is a single of the most sizeable Ford has built in around a technology. It underlines our commitment to Europe and a present day foreseeable future with electric cars at the heart of our strategy for expansion,” Stuart Rowley, president of Ford of Europe, observed.
Touching much more on the financial side of the enterprise, the enterprise writes, “Having properly restructured and returning to profitability in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2020, Ford moves to upcoming stage of program, led by an all-electric potential continues to be on observe to get to 6% EBIT margin as portion of company’s prepare to turnaround its international automotive operations.”
The prepare appears to be to be doing work well do significantly. Let’s see what is to occur.


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