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<\/p>\nFord, a US brand with over 100 years of manufacturing history in the UK, has become such an integrated part of our culture that its vehicles are synonymous with the British everyman, with instantly recognisable names such as the Mondeo and Transit.<\/p>\n
In 1911, the company opened its first factory outside North America in Manchester. This plant produced the iconic Model T, which quickly became a best-seller.<\/p>\n
In 1929, Ford began constructing a new factory in Dagenham, Essex, which became Europe\u2019s largest car plant. Over the decades, Ford\u2019s Dagenham plant produced millions of vehicles, including the popular Cortina, Escort, and Fiesta models. Ford\u2019s Halewood site on Merseyside, established in 1963, initially produced the Ford Anglia. Over the years, it manufactured various models, including the Escort and Capri.<\/p>\n
Today, Ford of Britain still operates major manufacturing sites in Dagenham and Halewood, along with a significant research and development facility in Dunton, Essex. Ford remains a key player in the UK automotive industry as it transitions to electric vehicles. With some targeted support from government grants to enable the development of new technology, its Halewood facility has recently completed its \u00a3380m move from making internal combustion engine transmissions to eDrives for its latest electric models.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s this most recent history which deserves to have its story told. In the face of the larger headwinds affecting the UK and the automotive sector, a small team of engineers and foresighted people operating out of Ford Dunton have managed to shape the future of the iconic blue oval in this country.<\/p>\n
Since the inception of the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK funding rounds in 2013, Ford has played a significant role in several collaborative R&D projects. It has been able to leverage government grant support to drive innovation and development at Dunton, which makes its way into real-world products. The journey of technological advancements at Ford Dunton, facilitated by APC projects, has been remarkable \u2013 transitioning from traditional engine development to cutting-edge virtual engineering, lightweighting, and advanced manufacturing techniques.<\/p>\n
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The early APC-funded projects at Ford Dunton focused primarily on engine development and efficiency. However, as the automotive industry evolved, so did the nature of the projects.<\/p>\n
The focus expanded to include virtual engineering, which is the simulation and testing of vehicle components in a digital environment, significantly reducing development time and costs.<\/p>\n
Additionally, lightweighting initiatives aimed at reducing vehicle weight to improve fuel efficiency and performance (and later, battery range) became a key area of development. Advanced manufacturing techniques were also introduced, enhancing the overall production process and product quality.<\/p>\n
One of the most notable projects supported by APC funding is the 2018 E:Prime project. This initiative marked a significant shift for Ford Dunton, expanding innovation from the traditional research and development engineering teams into the manufacturing engineering area of the business.<\/p>\n
The E:Prime project built a pilot manufacturing facility to develop processes and equipment for producing ultra-high volume next-generation electrified powertrain systems, including motors, power electronics, and batteries. Ford\u2019s APC project had a total project value of \u00a324.2m, including \u00a312.1m of government funding.<\/p>\n
The pilot facility developed under the E:Prime project was the first of its kind in Europe for the Ford group. This achievement would not have been possible without the additional funding and investment through the APC.<\/p>\n
The facility might have been developed in other parts of the Ford group, for that read: outside of the UK. The establishment of this facility in Essex underscores the importance of APC funding in keeping advanced manufacturing capabilities in the country.<\/p>\n
None of this was a solo effort. The success of the E:Prime project can be attributed to the consortium of partners involved. This included Siemens, JW Froehlich, and National Instruments Corporation, who were responsible for developing control, measurement, test, and new machine tools for the facility.<\/p>\n
HSSMI played a crucial role in creating digital twins to optimise the manufacturing layout and flow. Skillnet developed training courses to prepare the skills and training needs for future workers, while Signal & Noise specialised in data handling and visualisation. This breadth of skill set would not have naturally formed a consortium to tackle the multi-faceted challenges of a pilot facility without the support of the APC.<\/p>\n
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The result of the E:Prime project was a state-of-the-art pilot eDrive production facility that enabled the optimisation of manufacturing processes, the testing of new manufacturing methods, and the development of full electric drive manufacturing processes. This has not only advanced Ford\u2019s capabilities in producing next-generation electrified powertrain systems<\/a> but has also set a benchmark for innovation and collaboration in the automotive industry.<\/p>\n Participating in collaborative R&D projects has been pivotal in driving the evolution of Ford Dunton\u2019s technological capabilities. From traditional engine development to advanced manufacturing and electrification, the projects supported by the UK government through the APC have significantly contributed to the growth and success of Ford\u2019s R&D programme.<\/p>\n The collaborative approach fostered by the APC has also strengthened the UK\u2019s automotive R&D ecosystem, ensuring that the country remains at the forefront of automotive innovation.<\/p>\n Ultimately, this laid a foundation on which Ford could build the next generation of vehicle production and demonstrated the capability of its British operations. When looking for a site to place its electric motor manufacturing in Europe \u2013 and a number of locations were under consideration \u2013 Ford could have confidence in the expertise in the UK, leading to the decision to choose Halewood as the main facility.<\/p>\n Ford decided to go ahead with the transformation here, raising its total investment to \u00a3380m, safeguarding or creating up to 800 jobs.<\/p>\n As Ford Programme Manager Stuart Burn said: \u201cBack in around 2020, Ford had to decide where it was going to put its e-motor manufacturing site in Europe. And it was very competitive. A number of facilities were looked at in detail. Fortunately, because of some of the work that was done with the APC on E:Prime, we were able to secure that investment into Halewood.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an iconic site. Ford Dagenham, Ford Halewood. You know those names. It is Halewood\u2019s 60-year anniversary this year, and it has been turned from what was a manual transmission gearbox plant into this really impressive new electric power unit facility. Production began literally a couple of months ago [November 2024].\u201d<\/p>\n Halewood\u2019s selection marked Ford\u2019s first in-house investment in all-electric vehicle component manufacturing in Europe, and it was enabled by a capital grant and support from the Government\u2019s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), which had also benefited from the work on the E:Prime project.<\/p>\n Ben Harrison, Senior Project Delivery Lead at the APC, said: \u201cIt is fantastic to see how a collaborative R&D project helped support the business case for an Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) grant. This was undoubtedly the seed for the Ford Halewood plant to become the European manufacturing centre of excellence to produce Ford eDrive units for both Ford Puma Gen-E and Ford E-Transit, with the capacity to build 420,000 units per year.\u201d<\/p>\n Whilst this is certainly a success for the UK, the team at Dunton has not stopped innovating and is committed to making improvements.<\/p>\n Ben Harrison continued: \u201cFord is now taking this journey further with Project E-Steel, which is set to deliver the UK\u2019s first prototype line for high-volume e-motor core production. Coupled with digital twin and simulation capabilities, Project E-Steel will enable \u2018right first-time\u2019 stamping and lamination of e-steel components.\u201d<\/p>\n E-steel, or electrical steel, is a type of steel specifically designed to have good magnetic properties. It is formed into thin sheets, which are stacked together to form the core of electric motors. The thinness of the sheets helps reduce energy loss due to a phenomenon called eddy currents, which are loops of electrical current that can waste energy.<\/p>\n The Ford Project E-Steel focuses on developing, piloting, and industrialising e-sheet cores for the stator and rotor assemblies in Ford\u2019s electric drive units.<\/p>\n This \u00a38.4m collaborative R&D project, recently announced in late 2024, includes partners, each with their own area of expertise. Brandauer specialises in e-sheet core manufacturing, stamping, and tooling, whilst HSSMI returns, this time focusing on industrialisation, digital twin technology, and sustainability. As the academic partner, the University of Nottingham is conducting R&D on e-motor products, performance, and process design.<\/p>\n The goal is to establish a UK production capability that allows Ford and the broader ecosystem to integrate e-sheet core production into UK operations. This initiative also aims to create new supply chain opportunities for UK expertise, material, and product suppliers to support integration and industrialisation.<\/p>\n As this recent history shows, APC innovation funding has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of the R&D team at Dunton.<\/p>\n This support has not only bolstered the internal team but also fostered the development of networks with other parts of the UK automotive sector. By drawing expertise from academia and enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to form and grow, APC funding has played a crucial role in strengthening the UK\u2019s automotive R&D ecosystem. People interested in replicating this success should visit the APC\u2019s funding opportunities page<\/a> to find out more about the latest competitions.<\/p>\n This collaborative approach has led to the sharing of knowledge and resources, driving innovation across the industry and setting it on a path to a secure future. For Ford, we can hope to see another 100 years of manufacturing here in the UK.<\/p>\n The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) collaborates with the UK government, the automotive industry and academia to accelerate the industrialisation of technologies that support the transition to zero-emission vehicles and towards a net-zero automotive supply chain in the UK.<\/p>\n Established in 2013, the APC, with the backing of the UK Government\u2019s Department for Business and Trade (DBT), has facilitated funding for 302 low-carbon and zero-emission projects involving 529 partners. Working with companies of all sizes, this funding has helped to create or safeguard over 59,000 jobs in the UK. The technologies and products that result from these projects are projected to save over 425 million tonnes of CO2.<\/p>\n With deep sector expertise and cutting-edge knowledge of new propulsion technologies, the APC\u2019s role in building and advising project consortia helps projects start more quickly and deliver increased value, accelerating new technologies to market. The APC works to drive innovation and encourage collaboration, building the foundations for a successful and sustainable UK automotive industry.<\/p>\n In 2020, the UK Government established the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to accelerate the development of a net-zero vehicle supply chain, enabling UK-based manufacturers to serve global markets. ATF investments are accessed through the APC and awarded by DBT to support strategically important UK capital and R&D investments that will enable companies involved in batteries, motors and drives, power electronics<\/a>, fuel cells, and associated supply chains to anchor their future.<\/p>\n For more information, go to www.apcuk.co.uk<\/a> or follow us @theapcuk on X and Advanced Propulsion Centre UK on LinkedIn.<\/p>\nLanding investment in the UK<\/h3>\n
E-Steel<\/h3>\n
Strengthening the R&D ecosystem<\/h3>\n
About the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK<\/h4>\n