Inside Ford’s New Battery Factory for the Explorer and Capri Electric Vehicles

Ford has officially started assembling battery packs for its next-generation electric vehicles, including the Ford Explorer and Ford Capri. These battery systems come in three different sizes and are being produced exclusively at the state-of-the-art Cologne Electric Vehicle Center. This is more than just a new phase for Ford—it is part of a broader shift toward a fully electric future in Europe.

This progress is tied to a two billion dollar transformation of the historic Cologne site, which now runs as a fully digitalized plant. Everything from energy efficiency to internal logistics has been optimized to align perfectly with vehicle production happening in the same facility. The result is better quality, less transportation waste, and faster integration of parts with final vehicle assembly.

Ford’s Cologne facility has played a central role in the company’s European operations for nearly a century. Now, with the new electric vehicle strategy, it is evolving into a high-tech production center. More than just building cars, Ford is upskilling its workforce, modernizing processes, and expanding its in-house capabilities to build reliable battery systems.

Inside the plant, one hundred eighty advanced robots are in charge of welding, gluing, and fastening the battery housings. These housings are then fitted with up to twelve battery modules, which are pieced together from roughly 2,775 individual parts. The battery packs are built along a two kilometer automated line, keeping consistency and speed at the forefront.

This is not happening in isolation. Ford is developing electric vehicles across multiple facilities. In addition to Cologne, battery and electric drive systems are being produced at Ford Otosan’s plants in Romania and Turkey, and also at the Halewood site in the United Kingdom. The larger goal is clear: to build an ecosystem in Europe for designing and delivering high-quality electric vehicles for European drivers.