e.GO partners with Ericsson and Vodafone to open industry 4.0 factory

Telecommunications companies Ericsson and Vodafone have partnered with German electric vehicle start-up e.GO Mobile on an industry 4.0 factory.

Incorporating automation and 5g connectivity, the technology will increase efficiency and allow for flexibility in the kinds of vehicles produced. Looking to the future, the model is also said to allow new e.Go factories to be built twice as fast and at a fraction of the cost of traditional automotive manufacturing facilities.

"Our automotive industry needs a fast network directly where the newest and most innovative cars are built. Data is an important fuel for modern automobile production,” said Hannes Ametsreiter, Head of Vodafone Germany. Günther Schuh, CEO of e.GO Mobile AG said: "The assembly plant for e.GO Life is a true Industry 4.0 factory. In other words, it is fully networked in terms of information technology. Connectivity links the physical and the digital world.”

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Ericsson said in its 20 June press release that its private network solution will provide near real-time networking across the production chain, while remaining secure. The companies described e.GO’s Aachen-located Factory 1 as an example of the manufacturing processes of the future.

Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe & Latin America, Ericsson, said: "5G is the key to opening the door to a new era in manufacturing productivity, speed, security and efficiency – and the automotive industry is a prime example of the beneficiaries. Our 5G technology leadership, including solutions and abilities specifically tailored to manufacturing, enables us to partner with companies such as Vodafone and e.GO to deliver the very best private networks solutions.”