The automaker is trying to simplify tech.
Ford presented the BlueCruise semi-auto-driving technology in April, promising that it would be available for the Mustang Mach-1_ and F150 later this year. The automaker has now announced that it will not be able implement its plan as it will delay the rollout for the first quarter next year.
Jim Farley, Ford CEO, told CNBC the manufacturer wants to make the technology simpler and that is why the delay was planned. However, no further details were provided, but it appears that we will need to wait between two to five months for the technology to be integrated into the production vehicles.
We tried Ford’s new tech in August and our Managing Editor Brandon Turkus stated that it was difficult to argue against Ford’s “hands-free” driver-assistance system. This is despite the snazzy name that led to a lawsuit with General Motors (see related links below). Our article concluded that “BlueCruise is likely to be the de facto leader in active safety among legacy automakers” in terms of adoption.
Ford estimates that the BlueCruise technology will be available in nearly all of its Mustang Mach-E crossovers. The system is standard equipment in the four-door EV Mustang except for the base model where it is part of a $3200 option pack. Ford expects that only 15% of F-150 trucks will be equipped with BlueCruise technology.
CNBC reported that Ford CFO John Lawler said last week during a media conference that he expected the chip shortage to continue into next and possibly into 2023, but to a lesser extent. Lawler stated that Ford hopes to achieve a 10% increase in wholesale vehicle volumes by 2022, despite the microchip crisis.