At Ford Motor’s historic Dearborn Rouge site, the automaker and AT&T are outfitting the Ford F-150 pickup truck as an all-electric vehicle with highly secure, next-generation 5G cellular connectivity. The 2022 F-150 Lightning has a targeted EPA-estimated range of 300 miles, zero emissions and available Ford Intelligent Backup Power.
“With this collaboration, we’ll help Ford unlock the potential of 5G helping to build the truck of the future,” said Rasesh Patel, Chief Product & Platform Officer, AT&T Business. “It’s 5G connectivity coming to life! And it’s all thanks to the transformative ultra-fast speeds, incredibly low latency, and massive connectivity that is 5G in action.”
“The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center was built with a clean-slate design and features the latest in advanced manufacturing technology,” said Adrian Price, executive director, Global Manufacturing Engineering, Ford Motor Company. “We are deploying 5G technology at this facility as a platform to enable us to use significant additional advanced manufacturing technologies in the future.”
On the production line, employees use tablet computers to send and receive information about equipment status and material supply. Phones are also used as a vision system to scan specific components of the vehicle for accuracy. Both the phones and tablets will have 5G capability for faster processing times and better connection. 5G will support additional applications as the devices are updated to enable 5G connectivity. The lower latency of 5G, according to AT&T, can help automated robotics and machinery make better decisions and faster reaction times to improve the safety of the workers around them.
Ford recently announced that it is investing an additional $250 million and adding 450 more jobs to boost production of the F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. This new center supports Ford’s vision of sustainable production as a zero waste-to-landfill site. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center uses natural lighting, as well as LED lighting and the primary forklift fleet uses hydrogen fuel cells with a zero-emission profile. It is built on the site of the old Dearborn Assembly Plant, using the former plant’s recycled foundation and construction materials.
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