Ford Otosan has inaugurated the renewed Yeniköy ‘plant of the future’ in Turkey after a €2 billion investment to improve efficiency and clean energy usage. The new Ford Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom have started production, with the e-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom set for launch in 2024.
The €2 billion investment has gone further than just retooling the production lines for both combustion engine and battery-electric vans. Energy efficiency was one of the main goals, with photovoltaic glass walls in addition to solar panels on the roof and Solar Wall technology to heat water and thus reduce natural gas usage.
The production line efficiency has also been improved thanks to a multistorey configuration of the workshops. At the same time, noise has been reduced thanks to wireless electric tools instead of pneumatic equipment.
AI, of course
No modern company can go without finding a way to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in its activities. In the case of the Yeniköy plant, the technology is used to create virtual manufacturing simulations to improve production efficiency and to be able to respond quickly to fluctuations in demand or the supply of components.
The ICE-based Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom have already started production, with their electric counterparts scheduled for next year, with deliveries expected in the Summer of 2024. By 2025, the revamped Yeniköy factory will be up to speed, with a capacity of up to 405 000 units per year.
Ford Otosan, the joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Turkish investment company Koç Holding, has been building commercial vehicles for the brand since 1959, with Turkey being Ford’s main European production hub for the Transit and Tourneo vans and the F-series trucks.
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