Ford Motor Company announced the opening of the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center in Germany on Monday after a historic investment in the plant.
According to the automaker, the plant originally opened in 1930 and recently underwent a $2 billion transformation to become the EV center.
Ford said the plant is equipped with a brand-new production line, battery assembly and state-of-the-art tooling and automation. It is expected to produce 250,000 EVs annually and comes amid successful sales of Ford's EVs the Mustang Mach-E, Transit and F-150 Lightning.
Ford also recently unveiled its fourth EV globally, the electric Explorer, which will be the first EV produced in Cologne.
“Opening the Cologne EV Center is the start of a new generation of clean manufacturing and electric vehicles in Europe,” Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford said in a statement. “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.”
Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz said, "The Electric Vehicle Center 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 Cologne EV Center is also Ford's first carbon-neutral assembly plant to open in the world, according to the automaker.
At the Cologne plant, Ford has produced more than 18 million vehicles over the past 90 years, from the Model A to the Taunus, Capri, Granada and Fiesta.
“The Cologne EV Center signals the start of a new era for Ford in Europe,” said Martin Sander, general manager of Ford Model e Europe. “We are once again redefining auto manufacturing, implementing advanced technologies to build fully connected, software-defined vehicles that meet our customers’ demand for zero emission mobility.”
