E-car: Ford starts battery production for Explorer and Capri e-models in Cologne
Ford is starting battery production for its Explorer and Capri electric car models at its converted former Cologne engine plant on Thursday.
(Image: Ford)
Ford Cologne begins series production of traction batteries for its electric models on Thursday. To this end, the former engine plant has been completely modernized and converted into a production line for traction batteries. The car manufacturer can produce batteries in three different sizes at its plant. They will initially be used in the current Explorer and Capri passenger car models, which are built at the "Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center".
Batteries no longer come from VW
Battery production in the direct vicinity of the car production assembly lines significantly reduces the volume of transportation. They no longer have to be delivered from Lower Saxony. As the electric cars consist largely of Volkswagen components, the batteries were also supplied entirely by VW until the turn of the year. The Ford Explorer shares its technology with the VW ID.4 (test) and can be ordered with three battery sizes: 52, 77 and 79 kWh. Since the beginning of the year, Ford's battery production has been in the process of familiarizing itself with processes and the almost 200 employees who control the plant.
As of today, the batteries for Ford's electric cars are officially produced entirely on a production line equipped with 180 robots. The machines weld, glue and screw the housings together. Depending on the size of the battery, these are fitted with up to 12 battery modules, each weighing around 30 kilograms. Depending on the format, 2775 individual parts are assembled into a single unit on the two-kilometer-long production line, according to Ford.
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However, Ford Germany's business has not been running as hoped for a long time. Between 2018 and today, Ford has already reduced the number of employees from 20,000 to around 11,500, with a further 2,900 to be cut by the end of 2027. Whether the Explorer (test) and Capri models can halt the decline is questionable considering the prices, despite an upward trend recently. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, 12.9 percent more Fords were newly registered in Germany in May than in the same month last year.
(fpi)