Ford opens Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, its first carbon neutral production facility
The Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, which is an important milestone in Ford’s “Road To Better” vision and is the first carbon neutral vehicle production facility on a global scale, was opened.
Ford opened the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, a high-tech production facility that will produce new generation electric passenger vehicles. The company transformed its historic factory, established in 1930, with an investment of $2 billion to create this innovative production center.
The facility, built on 125 hectares, with the capacity to produce more than 250,000 electric vehicles annually, designed for high efficiency; equipped with a new production line, battery assembly line, state-of-the-art tools and automation systems.
Ford Explorer will be the first electric vehicle produced in Cologne
After the successes of the Mustang Mach-E, E-Transit and F-150 Lightning, Ford’s fourth electric vehicle, Explorer, will be the first electric vehicle to be produced by the brand in Cologne, followed by an electric sports crossover.
The Cologne Electric Vehicle Center will support the company’s commitment to carbon neutral across all plant, logistics operations and direct supplier footprint in Europe by 2035, as Ford’s first globally opened carbon neutral production facility.
Ford “Executive Chair” Bill Ford said, “The opening of the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center is the beginning of a new generation of clean production and electric vehicles in Europe,” and said, “This facility will be one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly facilities in the entire industry. I am excited to work to prepare a zero-emission future for our children and grandchildren,” he added.
A new era for Ford in Europe
The opening of the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center marks a new era in the long-established history of the Ford Cologne factory, which has been at the heart of the European automotive industry since 1930. Iconic vehicles produced here include Ford Model A, Taunus, Capri, Granada and Fiesta.
The factory in Cologne, which has produced more than 18 million cars over 90 years, is known as one of Ford’s most efficient facilities worldwide, providing freedom of movement for millions of Europeans for generations.
‘Path to Better’ plan becomes reality
Ford is reducing energy use and emissions at the facility by deploying new processes, machinery and technologies to achieve carbon neutrality. All of the electricity and natural gas needed to run the facility is also supplied from carbon-neutral 100 percent renewable energy sources.
The heat to be used in the heating of the facility and in the processes is also carbon neutral, as the emissions created by the production facility will be compensated for by the local energy supplier on behalf of Ford. The heat generated by an external power plant and incinerator is transmitted over a Ford-specific steam grid.
The local energy provider plans to reduce operating emissions for this heat dissipation by approximately 60 percent by 2026, and to eliminate these emissions completely by 2035.
Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center will be independently carbon neutral certified when fully operational. This independent certification will be regularly audited and the remaining emissions will be offset by high-quality carbon offset programs.
The technological update at the Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center is accompanied by the improvement of biodiversity and the ecological balance of the existing factory green space. Measures taken include the introduction of new perennial vegetation, the conversion of ecologically weak turf to wild grass, and the creation of insect, bat and bird habitats.
