It will cost $600 to obtain via OTA, and comes with three years of service.
Ford will roll out its autonomous driving technology via an on-the-air update later in the year. The self-driving technology, officially known as Blue Cruise, will initially be available for 2021 Mustang Mach–E and 2021 F-150 cars equipped with Ford’s Copilot360 Active 2.0 Prep Pack. The automaker is aiming to sell more than 100,000 Blue Cruise-equipped cars by the end.
Formerly called Active Drive Assist Blue Cruise will be available to 2021 F-150 and 2020 Mustang Mach-E customers beginning in the third quarter 2021. All these vehicles must be equipped with the Co-Pilot 360 Active2.0 package which includes all necessary Blue Cruise hardware. This equipment is standard on all Mach-E models, except the base model. It’s also available as part of a $2600 option package that includes a 360-degree camera and heated front seats. While the F-150 Limited is the most expensive model, it comes with hardware. It’s an optional option on the King Ranch, Platinum, and Lariat models.
The software will be available for $600 to owners of Co-Pilot 360 Active2.0-equipped vehicles. This includes a three-year maintenance period. Motor1.com did not respond to a question about the cost of Blue Cruise service after three years. The software will be available at the factory for those who purchase their vehicle after the rollout.
Blue Cruise is technically an SAE Level 2 autonomous vehicle. The automaker compares it to Tesla Autopilot, but with the added benefit of offering hands-free driving while in Hands Free Mode. The system uses advanced radar-sensing and camera technologies, and is built upon adaptive cruise control. A camera in the car monitors the driver to make sure they are paying attention. This is also true for GM’s SuperCruise competitor.
Ford claims that Blue Cruise communicates better when it is hands-free. It relies on light cues and text from the instrument clusters to inform the driver. Tesla GM and Blue Cruise mainly use colors. Blue Cruise is unable to compete in automatic lane changes. This year’s SuperCruise was the only one to be added). Ford claims that this feature will be available, and engineers are currently exploring a Blue Cruise version that will allow F-150 owners to tow.
BlueCruise, when fully deployed will allow hands-free driving along prequalified sections on divided highways known as Hands-Free Blue Zones. Ford’s GPS mapping system currently classifies more than 100,000 miles (160,000.km) of highways in North America as “Hands-Free Blue Zones.”
The automaker took several months to prepare for the launch and embarked on “the mother of all road trips” in order to test the system. Ford sent five F-150s, five Mustang Mach-Es and five F-150s on a 110,000-mile (17,000-kilometer) trip through 37 US states and 5 Canadian provinces in November 2020. This epic test trip was the culmination of a long development process that also included several shorter drives each intended to assess a particular aspect of BlueCruise.
Hau Thai Tang, chief product platform officer and operations officer at Ford, says that there are many driving conditions and highway intricacies that can’t be replicated in a laboratory. BlueCruise technology is a trusted and convenient option for all drivers across Africa. We sent these vehicles out to get real-world driving experience.