Ford Open New Electric Vehicle Centre

12th Jun 2023

Ford has opened its Cologne Electric Vehicle Centre, a high-tech production facility in Germany that will build Ford’s new generation of electric passenger vehicles for millions of European customers.

Ford has transformed its historic plant in Niehl, Cologne – founded in 1930 – as part of an investment of almost £2 billion - a major vote of confidence in skilled German manufacturing jobs and the future of automotive production in Europe.

Designed to be highly efficient, the 125-hectare site is equipped with a brand-new production line, battery assembly and state-of-the-art tooling and automation, enabling an annual production capacity of over 250,000 electric vehicles.

Following the success of the 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, followed by a second electric vehicle, a sports crossover.

The Cologne EV Centre 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.

“Opening the Cologne EV Center is the start of a new generation of clean manufacturing and electric vehicles in Europe,” said Bill Ford, executive chair. “This facility will now be one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible plants in the entire industry. I am thrilled to continue working toward a zero emissions future for our children and grandchildren.”

German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “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.”

The opening of the Cologne EV Centre is the latest chapter in the long history of the Ford Cologne plant, which has been at the heart of the European automotive industry since 1930.

Iconic vehicles built at the site have included the Ford Model A, Capri, Granada, and Fiesta.

Over more than 90 years, the Ford plant in Cologne has produced over 18 million cars as one of Ford’s most efficient plants worldwide, enabling freedom of mobility for millions of Europeans.

The technological upgrade of the Ford Cologne EV Centre is accompanied by an ecological improvement of biodiversity and the ecological balance of the existing factory green space.

Installed measures include a new perennial forb vegetation, change of ecologically poor grass areas to wildflower meadows and insect hotels, as well as bat and bird habitats.