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BlueCruise uses blue lighting on the digital instrument cluster to indicate when the vehicle is in a hands-free zone.
Photo: Ford
Ford BlueCruise is sweeping North America with F-150, Mustang Mach-E, and other Ford vehicle customers accumulating 10.6 million miles of hands-free highway driving since the technology launched in July 2021.
Now, Ford Power-Up software updates are bringing BlueCruise to even more customers who bought vehicles before the technology launched. Nearly 15,000 model-year 2021 F-150 and Mustang Mach-E customers already completed the BlueCruise software updates with another 35,000 in process. This adds to customers who bought vehicles with BlueCruise equipped at the factory, totaling about 66,500 customers enjoying hands-free highway driving.
“We are rapidly increasing the number of digital vehicles on the road with new services that create ‘always-on’ customer relationships with great software experiences,” said CEO Jim Farley. “BlueCruise is a great example as customers have driven more than 10 million miles hands-free in just one year since we launched the capability and delivered it with a Ford Power-Up software update.”
Announced in April 2021, the system is offered via over-the-air software updates on 2021 F-150 models equipped with the available Ford Co-Pilot360 Active 2.0 Prep Package. Ford targeted selling more than 100,000 vehicles equipped with BlueCruise in the first year, the company said in a statement. The test fleet included five Ford F-150 pickup trucks.
BlueCruise caps the first year of Ford Power-Up software updates, demonstrating the transformative capability to improve many computer-controlled vehicle systems to regularly make vehicles better and deepen relationships with customers. Ford is using anonymized data insights customers voluntarily share to make BlueCruise even better by refining visuals, sensing and steering for more natural performance.
The pace of BlueCruise hands-free highway driving is accelerating as customers more than doubled mileage from last month alone – from 4.5 million miles to 10.6 million miles. This is another example of Ford bringing innovations to the masses, not just the few.
Recent BlueCruise data also shows customers are driving hands-free on highways most between Dallas and Houston, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, and Cape Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale.
“Ford Power-Up technology is the gift that keeps giving. Ford BlueCruise software updates are a powerful example of this. One day you’re driving normally and the next hands-free,” said Farid Abdulhadi, program manager, Ford Power-Up Technology. “Ford is helping lead the mainstream adoption of advanced software update capability, similar to how smartphones changed the world of flip phones.”
BlueCruise uses blue lighting on the digital instrument cluster to indicate when the vehicle is in a hands-free zone. A driver-facing camera in the instrument cluster monitors eye gaze and head position to help ensure the driver’s eyes remain on the road.
In addition to hands-free mode, equipped vehicles will also feature Lane Centering mode. Lane Centering works on most roads with lane lines and can help keep the vehicle centered in its lane. The function still requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
The BlueCruise software update highlights a series of new features and enhancements – including EV charging and driving upgrades as well as F-150 productivity features – Ford has delivered in the first year since launching the technology.
Originally posted on Work Truck Online
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