A complex system
The system is called Blue Cruise, and it's Ford's latest innovation to make driving easier. In a few words, the system is simple: on the highway, the car will steer without you holding the steering wheel and can brake without help, but you must keep your eyes on the road at all times. Safety first.
Honestly though, it's a little more complex than that. First, the highway you're driving on has to be in the bank of listed roads. Ford and its engineers conducted the largest "roadtrip" to date, called the Mother of All Road Trip. They drove more than 177,000 kilometers, spread over 37 states and 5 Canadian provinces. They recorded the details of all these highways carefully.
A different display in the navigation system screen will warn you if you are on an eligible road.
Second, your vehicle must be equipped with the Blue Cruise system. This will require some hardware (it works with cameras and radar) and some investment in software. For now, only the 2021 F-150 and the Mach E Mustang can offer it. But other vehicles will soon be eligible as well.
Third, and most important, you still have to look at the road. A camera points at you, and makes sure you don't turn away for too long. Because while Blue Cruise is a hands-free driving assistant, it still requires some attention for safety reasons.
For now, only driving on planned highways is available. Over the months, other roads will be added, of course. As well as certain functions, such as the ability to pass a vehicle only by activating the turn signal. However, this is still under study.
An autonomous Ford is definitely coming soon. And if you have a 100% electric Ford F-150 or Mach E, you'll already be able to enjoy hands-free driving. Stop by Lincoln Heights Ford to see how we can help you take advantage of this new technology.
