Hands-Free Driving Becomes the Customer’s Choice with Ford’s BlueCruise Technology

Photo Source: Ford

Ford is stepping up its Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) venture by providing standard BlueCruise hardware in several Ford vehicles, beginning with the 2024 model year. The Blue Oval will also offer a complimentary 90-day trial period starting from purchase. That said, after the trial ends, Ford consumers can activate a BlueCruise subscription when and if they choose.

On the Heels of Tesla

Ford is following in Tesla’s footsteps with its electric vehicle program, attempting to match and outdo the electric vehicle market leader. After adopting the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and striking a deal with Tesla to permit Ford owners to access the Supercharger network, Ford is also working to make its BlueCruise driver assistance system more similar to Tesla’s Autopilot. Tesla’s primary advantage is that all its electric vehicles come outfitted with the necessary hardware, and owners can decide when to activate the advanced functions. 

This is something Ford is also undertaking for the 2024 model year. Previously, customers had to choose when ordering a vehicle if they preferred BlueCruise so the hardware could be installed. From now on, however, all cars supporting BlueCruise will be equipped with the required hardware directly from the factory. Consumers can select BlueCruise, already activated for three years, which will be rolled into the financing as part of the vehicle purchase.

Try, Then Buy

The automaker understands that not everyone wants to pay upfront for its hands-free highway driving technology, so Ford has come up with a convenient solution by offering a complimentary 90-day trial period for those unwilling to commit. Customers can then activate it at the conclusion of the trial or any point during their vehicle ownership. Like Tesla, the Blue Oval’s subscription also provides the flexibility to only pay for BlueCruise when the owner needs it, without a minimum length commitment required to activate it. In other words, this means people could activate BlueCruise for one month to utilize it on a road trip and not activate it again for another year.

The manufacturer initially deployed BlueCruise to the Mustang Mach-E, followed by the F-150 Lightning. The company is now expanding this policy to all BlueCruise-compatible automobiles, including the internal combustion engine-powered F-150 pickup trucks and Ford Expedition. Ashley Lambrix, Head of Commercial Acceleration – Ford Model e, elaborates on the expediency of BlueCruise innovation: “BlueCruise is an experience-it-to-believe-it technology, and people are amazed at how BlueCruise can help make driving less stressful and more enjoyable – especially in traffic or on long drives. We believe in this technology and how it can help transform the highway driving experience and want to give more customers the opportunity to try it and provide flexibility for them to activate it when they want to use it.” 

BlueCruise Activation Price

BlueCruise activation for Ford consumers costs $2,100 for three years at purchase. Those opting for the complimentary trial can select an annual plan for $800 or a monthly plan for $75. BlueCruise provides hands-free driving on select highways, with the latest variant, BlueCruise 1.3, offering improved performance when driving in narrow lanes and around curves. 

It is worth noting that if a customer chooses to terminate their BlueCruise subscription, they can continue to experience Adaptive Cruise Control, which allows the driver to set a cruising speed and distance from the vehicle ahead, including in stop-and-go traffic. Ford claims BlueCruise consumers accumulated over 1.4 million hours of hands-free driving. The number of miles driven has grown by over 40 percent since the end of the first quarter of the 2023 model year, surpassing 100 million miles. 

If you would like to keep up with Ford’s most recent technology, please visit NYE Ford, where you can view everything the Blue Oval provides. We are excited about helping our customers enjoy their shopping experience. After all, we have a professional sales team that will make your buying, leasing, or selling needs easy for any of our new vehicle inventory.