Ford News
Ford to build first EV components in Europe at revamped Halewood site
Ford Motors will begin building its first electric vehicle parts in Europe at its Halewood plant on Merseyside, as part of a £230m ($315m) investment project.
Ford to build battery and assembly plants in Kentucky and Tennessee amid massive acceleration of EV output
Together with South Korean battery maker SK Innovation (SKI), Ford is investing $11.4 billion on new plants, which aim to significantly increase regional battery cell production capacity in the US.
AMS Lightweighting 2021 – Weighing the options
This edition features insights on how manufacturing engineers and designers are taking new approaches to vehicle architectures and production to integrate lighter, more efficient materials – especially for EVs – to reduce weight and improve sustainability. Featuring Ford, Gestamp, Rio Tinto, ArcelorMittal, Dreistern and more
Ford gambles with supply chains as OEM reportedly doubles production targets for electric F-150 Lightning trucks
Demand for electric vehicles has skyrocketed in recent years amid broader strategy by global institutions towards carbon-neutrality. However, supply chain disruptions relating to semiconductor shortages, the coronavirus pandemic, and material access may prove problematic for attempts to ramp up EV battery production.
Electrifying Europe: new EU ‘Fit for 55’ legislation effectively bans petrol and diesel engines by 2035
The EU’s latest salvo against the automotive industry to mitigate against climate change will eliminate ICEs and transform automotive manufacturing
Cost and opportunity: experts unveil the contradictions at the core of lightweighting EVs
Lightweighting has become one of the most important features when it comes to designing EVs. As calls for more sustainable production practices become louder, creators are looking at new innovative ways to lighten the load.
AMS Materials flow and automation 2021 – Moving with the times
Our latest digital edition looks at the latest assembly line concepts coming from new EV producers and how AI is becoming a key enabling technology
Lightweighting the EV is a challenge to celebrate
There is a new impetus to save weight as vehicles become powered by electric powertrains. Reducing the weight of a vehicle by optimising the mix of materials and the application in design is now a key focus.
Watch: Vehicle lightweighting rises to the top of the agenda for designers and engineers
This livestream investigates how designers and engineers at Ford, Gestamp and key suppliers are using innovative materials and creating lightweight architectures, including for models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Maverick compact truck.
Optimising the process: AI in robotic assembly cells
The Ford Transmission Plant in Livonia, Michigan, has been the location for a major innovation in automotive assembly operations, utilising AI to support the use of a robot in a particular automated assembly role. Mike Farish reports
EV battery supply chains on the move
As electric vehicles become serious business for OEMs, they are reassessing their battery supply and manufacturing bases, putting their eggs in multiple baskets and taking more control of the process.
Electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle plant database
Track factory locations for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles by manufacturer, model and location.
Lithium-ion battery gigafactory database
Track electric vehicle lithium battery gigafactories by manufacturer, location, manufacturer, current and planned gigawatt (GWh) capacity.
OEM and lithium-ion battery cell supplier database
Keep up with changing supplier relationships between electric vehicle manufacturers and battery cell suppliers in this database.
Ford and SKI form JV to localise battery supply in US
Ford has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with lithium-ion battery maker SK Innovation (SKI) for a joint venture to manufacture battery cells and finished packs in the US.
Electrification and digitalisation go hand in hand at Ford and VW
As the automotive industry electrifies, manufacturing is changing dramatically and OEMs are using big data to keep pace with that change. Increasingly moving into the world of tech, old quality control processes may no longer suffice since a lot of EV components cannot be reworked like traditional equivalents. Manufacturing has to be ultra-precise like never before.
VW and Ford invest in flexible production for an uncertain future
The speed of change in the technology of cars and rapid electrification requires new manufacturing equipment and is making expensive old machines redundant, but exactly where the industry is going next is hard to predict. More flexible manufacturing is the answer.
Watch: Electrifying Production – How to build an electric future (Pt.2)
In the second part of our Electrifying Production Livestream series, AMS explores how OEMs are ramping up EV production through modular strategies, data analytics and advanced joining and metrology tools. Featuring Volkswagen Group, Ford, Renishaw and Atlas Copco.
Ford creates a new global battery centre of excellence
Ford Ion Park is located in southeast Michigan and employs a cross-functional team to develop high-volume battery cell delivery, better range and lower costs
Ford to build all-electric LCV at Craiova
Following a $300m investment the new all-electric model is planned to launch in 2024 with Craiova following the Ford Cologne Electrified Vehicle Centre in Germany and Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plant in Turkey to build all-electric vehicles
