F-150 Lightning: Ford Partners With AT&T for 5G at Rouge Electric Vehicle Center
Ford and AT&T announced today that a new partnership is in place for the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. The Rouge EV center is part of the old Dearborn Rouge site, which is responsible for producing the new Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck. What will this partnership with Ford and AT&T provide? A way for staff members to more quickly and accurately produce the new F-150 Lightning truck.
The Ford F-150 Lightning site is getting 5G from AT&T
The newest production center is focusing on electric vehicles. Right now, that entails the Ford F-150 Lightning primarily. According to the press release from AT&T, along with help from AT&T, Ford will have access to the Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) technology. This will allow the automaker to utilize advanced manufacturing and engineering technology.
Using 5G in the production process will allow the automaker to use more advanced technology in the future. It will also allow for faster wireless connectivity to solve problems within the production facility. Staff members can use tablets and computers to stay in the loop with equipment status and inventory. AT&T’s 5G will increase accuracy and connection in these processes used to build the F-150 Lightning.
In addition to this, Ford employees can use phones to scan components of the vehicles during production. Various automated processes will improve upon the speed at which tasks are completed. AT&T says the low latency of the 5G network enables automated robotics machines to make better decisions and further improve the reaction time.
Wireless connectivity is an important part of the F-150 Lightning
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One of the newest features of the Ford F-150 Lightning is the ability to receive updates over the internet. Much like Tesla electric vehicles, this allows drivers to get essential updates without going into a dealership. With the new 5G connectivity from AT&T, Workers can update the F-150 Lightning from within the factory. This will cut down on processing time and help speed up the delivery of the vehicle.
“The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center was built with a clean-slate design and features the latest in advanced manufacturing technology,” Adrian Price, executive director, Global Manufacturing Engineering at Ford Motor Company, said. Ford says that the AT&T 5G will support new technology, improve automated industrial vehicles and machinery, and enable faster updates.
Ford built the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center for the future
Ford announced recently that the automaker would invest another $250 million and 450 jobs to help production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. Ford wants this facility to be a sustainable and zero-waste landfill site. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center uses natural lighting, LED lighting, and zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel-cell forklifts.
In addition to that, Ford built the facility on top of the old Dearborn Assembly Plant. This used a recycled foundation and construction materials from the former plant. The automaker noted the plan was to build this new plant for the future. This partnership with AT&T is a step in the right direction.
The Ford F-150 Lightning has an EPA-estimated 300 miles of range from the fully-electric motor. The Lightning truck is slated to hit dealerships soon, but that is dependant upon the current supply chain and semiconductor chip issues.
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