Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Ford
Few people still remember this because it happened three years ago, but Apple used the 2020 edition of the WWDC to announce a feature that the whole industry considered to be a game changer in the navigation battle.
The iPhone maker promised to equip Apple Maps with EV routing, providing drivers of zero-emission vehicles with special capabilities unavailable in models with combustion engines.
The new feature needed two years to reach the production phase. Apple rolled it out on the Ford Mustang Mach-E in March last year before expanding it to the Porsche Taycan in 2023.
Now, Apple plans to expand the EV routing to "all Ford Lightning" models.
A notification sent by Ford to dealerships reportedly mentions that a software update due in the fourth quarter of the year will enable EV routing in Ford F-150 Lightning models. All 2022 and 2023 models will be eligible for the update, though I'm still waiting for confirmation on this critical tidbit – the 2023 models will almost certainly be supported, but it's currently unclear if the update will also ship to all MY 2022 F-150 Lightning models.
If you wonder why EV routing is such a big deal, it all comes down to how it improves the driving experience in an electric vehicle.
Apple Maps currently offers the traditional navigation feature package, providing turn-by-turn guidance to a destination selected by the user. When it runs on iPhone and CarPlay, the application can't read any vehicle information, so it'll guide you to the destination regardless of the battery or gas level.
The EV routing uses integration powered by the carmaker to allow Apple Maps to read battery information. The application always knows the vehicle's range, so it can tell in advance if you have enough battery to reach the destination. If you don't, Apple Maps automatically searches for compatible chargers along the route, suggesting stops to let you arrive at the destination without worrying about running out of battery.
Apple Maps can also offer emergency navigation when you're about to run out of battery, changing the current route to the closest charging station. Once you recharge the battery, Apple Maps reconfigures the previous route to guide you to the destination.
The feature lineup is similar to Google Maps' functionality on Android Automotive. However, Apple Maps runs on CarPlay, using vehicle integration developed by the carmaker.
It took Apple three years, and it's a little disappointing to see the company bringing this highly anticipated feature to its third model after a debut with so much fanfare, but it's probably better late than never for the Google Maps rival. Apple could announce the F-150 Lightning expansion at its iPhone event this week when Apple Maps will also receive more stage time for additional features like offline map support (coming in iOS 17 to iPhone XS and newer).
The new feature needed two years to reach the production phase. Apple rolled it out on the Ford Mustang Mach-E in March last year before expanding it to the Porsche Taycan in 2023.
Now, Apple plans to expand the EV routing to "all Ford Lightning" models.
A notification sent by Ford to dealerships reportedly mentions that a software update due in the fourth quarter of the year will enable EV routing in Ford F-150 Lightning models. All 2022 and 2023 models will be eligible for the update, though I'm still waiting for confirmation on this critical tidbit – the 2023 models will almost certainly be supported, but it's currently unclear if the update will also ship to all MY 2022 F-150 Lightning models.
If you wonder why EV routing is such a big deal, it all comes down to how it improves the driving experience in an electric vehicle.
Apple Maps currently offers the traditional navigation feature package, providing turn-by-turn guidance to a destination selected by the user. When it runs on iPhone and CarPlay, the application can't read any vehicle information, so it'll guide you to the destination regardless of the battery or gas level.
The EV routing uses integration powered by the carmaker to allow Apple Maps to read battery information. The application always knows the vehicle's range, so it can tell in advance if you have enough battery to reach the destination. If you don't, Apple Maps automatically searches for compatible chargers along the route, suggesting stops to let you arrive at the destination without worrying about running out of battery.
Apple Maps can also offer emergency navigation when you're about to run out of battery, changing the current route to the closest charging station. Once you recharge the battery, Apple Maps reconfigures the previous route to guide you to the destination.
The feature lineup is similar to Google Maps' functionality on Android Automotive. However, Apple Maps runs on CarPlay, using vehicle integration developed by the carmaker.
It took Apple three years, and it's a little disappointing to see the company bringing this highly anticipated feature to its third model after a debut with so much fanfare, but it's probably better late than never for the Google Maps rival. Apple could announce the F-150 Lightning expansion at its iPhone event this week when Apple Maps will also receive more stage time for additional features like offline map support (coming in iOS 17 to iPhone XS and newer).
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