Revved Up in Cologne: Ford's Electric Battery Plant Rolls Out Amidst Turbulent Times
Ford inaugurates battery assembly facility in Cologne
Hold on to your seats, folks! Ford's battery assembly plant in the heart of Cologne has passionately hit the ground running. This powerhouse is churning out batteries for the electric models Explorer and Capri, unveiled last year, with a little help from our cherished Volkswagen pals who initially agreed to handle the assembly until the end of 2024. But Ford ain't one to wait around, are they? They've been mastering the art of battery assembly since the beginning of the year!
Now, let's paint a picture of what's happening on the production line. This ain't your average assembly line! It stretches out a whopping 2 kilometers, and the 2,775 individual parts are put together like puzzle pieces to craft a drive battery. It's a symphony of 180 human hands and 190 robots working together in harmony, with the robots taking care of the welding, gluing, and screwing duties.
But it ain't all sunshine and rainbows for Ford. Their German operations have been flirting with the red for some time now, and recent layoffs led to a historical first—a strike at their German subsidiary, which has been in the game for nearly a century. Currently, Ford's Cologne crew clocks in at around 11,500, but that number's expected to take a hit, dropping to 8,600 by the end of 2027.
The Explorer and Capri might not be up to par with Ford's glory days, but there's been a spark of life in the sales figures lately. May 2023 saw a 12.9% boost in Ford cars registered in Germany compared to the previous year, giving the company a measly 3.7% market share. That may not sound like much, but remember, they've got bigger fish to fry—namely, the end of their internal combustion engine car production in Cologne, marked by the farewell of the last Ford Fiesta.
No electric Fiesta in sight? Don't worry, the daring Explorer and Capri are here to take the reins. These bad boys are a far cry from the Fiesta's affordable price, starting at €39,900 and €42,400 respectively in their base versions.
Now, about those challenges Ford's been facing... Tariff matters, sluggish EV demand, fierce competition, workforce adjustments, and a regulatory environment that falls short of expectations. Sounds like quite the cocktail of complications, huh? Read more here here here here and here. But hey, just like every good underdog, they're fighting tooth and nail to make a comeback!
- https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/tariff-uncertainty-casts-a-shadow-over-the-cars-made-in-america
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tariffs-ev-trade-idUSKBN2430W6
- https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/17/ev-sales-slump-could-send-car-industry-into-meltdown
- https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ford-picks-100-factories-close-or-sell-worldwide-2021-05-18/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-has-missed-ev-sales-targets-2021-1
In the challenging environment, Ford has introduced a community policy focusing on providing vocational training to their Cologne workforce, aiming to adapt to the evolving landscape and technological advancements in the automobile industry. Despite the shifting focus on electric vehicles, the company continues to leverage advanced technology in their battery assembly plant, integrating 180 human hands and 190 robots for efficient production.
