Photo: Ford
Ford is stepping up its ADAS game by offering standard BlueCruise hardware in many Ford and Lincoln models, starting with the 2024 model year. The Blue Oval will also offer a complimentary 90-day trial period starting from purchase. After the trial ends, Ford and Lincoln customers can activate a BlueCruise subscription when and if they choose.
Ford is following in Tesla's footsteps with its EV program, trying to match and outdo the EV market leader. After adopting the NACS standard and striking a deal with Tesla to allow Ford owners to access the Supercharger network, Ford is also working to make its BlueCruise driver assistance system more like Tesla's Autopilot. Tesla's major advantage is that all its electric vehicles come equipped with the necessary hardware, and owners can choose when to activate the advanced functions.
This is something Ford is also doing for the 2024 model year. Previously, customers had to decide when ordering a vehicle if they wanted BlueCruise so the hardware could be installed. From now on, all cars supporting BlueCruise will be equipped with the necessary hardware from the factory. Buyers can choose BlueCruise, already activated for three years, which will be rolled into the financing as part of the vehicle purchase.
Ford acknowledges that not everyone wants to pay upfront for BlueCruise, so it offers a complimentary 90-trial period for those unwilling to commit. Customers can then activate it at the end of the trial or at any point during their vehicle ownership. Like Tesla, Ford subscription also offers the flexibility to only pay for BlueCruise when you need it, without a minimum length commitment required to activate it. This means people could activate BlueCruise for one month to use it on a road trip and not activate it again for another year.
Ford 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 vehicles, including the ICE F-150 pickup trucks and Ford Expedition. It will also be available on the 2024 Lincoln Navigator and Nautilus and select trims of the Lincoln Corsair. Lincoln customers who buy BlueCruise upfront will get four years with the purchase of the vehicle.
BlueCruise activation for Ford customers costs $2,100 for three years at purchase. Those opting for the complimentary trial can choose an annual plan for $800 or a monthly plan for $75. The same plans are also available to Lincoln customers. BlueCruise provides hands-free driving on select highways, with the latest iteration, BlueCruise 1.3, offering improved performance when driving around curves and in narrow lanes.
If a customer decides to end their BlueCruise subscription, they can continue to experience Adaptive Cruise Control, which lets the driver set a cruising speed and distance from the vehicle ahead, including in stop-and-go traffic. Ford claims BlueCruise customers accumulated more than 1.4 million hours of hands-free driving. The number of miles driven has grown by more than 40% since the end of the first quarter, surpassing 100 million miles.
This is something Ford is also doing for the 2024 model year. Previously, customers had to decide when ordering a vehicle if they wanted BlueCruise so the hardware could be installed. From now on, all cars supporting BlueCruise will be equipped with the necessary hardware from the factory. Buyers can choose BlueCruise, already activated for three years, which will be rolled into the financing as part of the vehicle purchase.
Ford acknowledges that not everyone wants to pay upfront for BlueCruise, so it offers a complimentary 90-trial period for those unwilling to commit. Customers can then activate it at the end of the trial or at any point during their vehicle ownership. Like Tesla, Ford subscription also offers the flexibility to only pay for BlueCruise when you need it, without a minimum length commitment required to activate it. This means people could activate BlueCruise for one month to use it on a road trip and not activate it again for another year.
Ford 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 vehicles, including the ICE F-150 pickup trucks and Ford Expedition. It will also be available on the 2024 Lincoln Navigator and Nautilus and select trims of the Lincoln Corsair. Lincoln customers who buy BlueCruise upfront will get four years with the purchase of the vehicle.
BlueCruise activation for Ford customers costs $2,100 for three years at purchase. Those opting for the complimentary trial can choose an annual plan for $800 or a monthly plan for $75. The same plans are also available to Lincoln customers. BlueCruise provides hands-free driving on select highways, with the latest iteration, BlueCruise 1.3, offering improved performance when driving around curves and in narrow lanes.
If a customer decides to end their BlueCruise subscription, they can continue to experience Adaptive Cruise Control, which lets the driver set a cruising speed and distance from the vehicle ahead, including in stop-and-go traffic. Ford claims BlueCruise customers accumulated more than 1.4 million hours of hands-free driving. The number of miles driven has grown by more than 40% since the end of the first quarter, surpassing 100 million miles.
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