Ford Introduces ‘BlueCruise’ Level 2 Hands-Free Driving Tech For Mustang Mach-E, F-150: News

The system will be available later this year, with a $600 three-year subscription fee

After half a million development miles, Ford says it will launch its BlueCruise hands-free driving tech on the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 this year, for a fee. (Images: Ford)

Ford’s BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving assist system is similar to GM’s Super Cruise.

Recently, Ford wrapped up what it called, “the mother of all road trips” testing the new BlueCruise system throughout our highway systems. As of now, BlueCruise covers 100,000 miles of our U.S. interstate, according to Ford. The engineers at the blue oval wanted to make sure that the system worked under unforeseen circumstances, hence the massive road trip.

This system is similar to Toyota’s newest advanced Level 2 semi-autonomous system and GM’s SuperCruise.

Like other semi-autonomous systems in the market, BlueCruise is meant to make highway driving easier. It will allow the driver to select destinations and allow the vehicle to do a majority of the (highway) driving. The BlueCruise system will be offered as an upgrade to the existing Co-Pilot360 system. The first vehicles that can use this system are the 2021 Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150. In time, this system is expected to proliferate the Ford lineup and beyond.

BlueCruise is meant for the vast stretches of U.S. highways.

“There are highway intricacies and driving conditions that you simply cannot replicate in a lab. Sending these vehicles out for real-world driving experience is just one of many ways we ensured that BlueCruise technology offers confidence and convenience for drivers all across the continent.” 

Hau Thai-Tang, Ford chief product platform and operations officer

While the system is similar to GM’s Super Cruise, it uses different technology in unique ways. The system relies on sensors and cameras to determine driver attention levels. GM uses steering wheel input. The system will suggest manual control if it senses that the driver’s gaze has wandered or the car has left a Blue Zone. In case you were worried about privacy, Ford says the cameras will not record any visual data.

The BlueCruise package includes a $600, three-year software charge, which is basically a subscription. For $1,595 the system can be bundled with the Ford Co-Pilot 360 Active 2.0 package. It’s also available as part of the Comfort and Technology package on the F-150’s Select option for $3,200.