Ford Officially Opens A Cologne Electric Vehicle Center Factory To Accelerate Electric Vehicle Development

Cologne EV Center Ford. (Doc. Ford)

JAKARTA - Ford has taken major steps in accelerating the development of electric vehicles by officially opening the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center Factory in Germany. The factory will be the production center for Ford vehicles for the European market.

With an investment of USD 2 billion (approximately IDR 29.7 trillion), Ford has turned a plant that has been established since 1930 in Niehl, Cologne into a production facility for electric vehicles equipped with high technology.

"This facility will be one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly factories in the industry. We are excited to create an emission-free future for future generations," said Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford, in a statement on Ford's official website on Monday, June 12.

With the construction of the Cologne EV Center, Ford became the first car manufacturer to open a global carbon neutral assembly plant. This is in line with the company's commitment to achieve zero emissions in all of its direct facilities, logistics, and suppliers in Europe by 2035.

The opening of this environmentally friendly plant is also in line with efforts by local energy providers to reduce their operational emissions by 60 percent by 2026, and achieve zero emissions by 2035.

Ford's Cologne EV Center plant will get independent certification as a carbon-free factory. This certification will be audited and confirmed periodically by compensateing for any remaining carbon emissions through purchases of high-quality carbon losses.

In addition, the development of this factory also includes increasing biodiversity and ecological balance by expanding the green space area. These efforts include planting new wild plant species and ecologically poor land changes into wild flower pavilions that become habitats for various living things.

The plant has a land area of 125 hectares and is equipped with new battery assembly facilities, the latest production lines, and advanced equipment. With a production capacity of more than 250,000 electric vehicles per year, the plant will be Ford's main base in meeting demand for electric vehicles in the European market.

The EV Explorer SUV will be the first model produced at this plant, followed by other electric vehicles, including highly anticipated sports crossover cars. With this move, Ford further affirms its commitment to transformation towards sustainable mobility and a greener future.