Ford will launch its new hands-free driving feature on the 2021 F-150 pickup and certain 2021 Mustang Mach-E models later this year through a software update, technology the carmaker has developed to work with similar systems from Tesla and GM to compete.
The hands-free capability – which uses cameras, radar sensors and software to provide a combination of customizable cruise control, orbital centering and speed sign recognition – has undergone some 500,000 miles of development research, Ford emphasized in its announcement and tweet from its CEO . Jim Farley in a not-so-subtle investigation into Tesla’s approach to introducing beta software to customers. The system also has a camera in the cabin that monitors the gaze and head position to ensure the driver’s eyes stay on the road.
The hands-free system is available on vehicles equipped with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology and will only work on certain sections of split highways. The system, which will be launched later this year via software updates, will initially be available on more than 100,000 miles of highways in North America.
The system has a price. BlueCruise software, which includes a three-year service period, costs $ 600. The price of upgrading the hardware depends on the vehicle. For example, F-150 owners will have to plunder another $ 995 for the hardware, while owners of the ‘selected’ Mustang Mach-E model variant will have to pay another $ 2600. BlueCruise is standard on the CA Route 1, Premium and First Edition variants of the Mustang Mach-E.
While almost every automaker offers some driver assistance features, Ford is clearly aiming to compete with GM and Tesla with or gain market share – the two companies with the best-known and most capable ADAS. Convincing customers that the system is worth the cost will be critical to achieving its internal target of selling more than 100,000 vehicles equipped with BlueCruise in the first year, based on the company’s sales and the forecast of the rate.
GM Super Cruise uses a combination of lidar map data, high-precision GPS, cameras and radar sensors, as well as a driver’s attention system, which monitors the person behind the wheel to ensure they pay attention. Unlike Tesla’s driver assistance system for Autopilot, Super Cruise users do not have to have their hands on the wheel. However, their eyes must remain straight.
Tesla’s Autopilot feature also combines sensors such as cameras and radar, computer power and software. Autopilot, which is standard in all new Tesla vehicles, steers, accelerates and brakes automatically within its lane. Tesla uses a torque sensor in the steering wheel to determine if drivers are paying attention to it, although many owners have found heels and have been documented in public so they can keep their hands off the wheels and eyes off the road. Tesla is asking for $ 10,000 for its upgrade to FSD (its own internal brand intended for full self-management). FSD is not an autonomous system. It does offer a number of more capable driver assistance features, including automatic lane changes, the ability to recognize and respond to traffic lights and stop signs, and a navigation feature that will suggest changing lanes and moving the vehicle automatically in the direction of speed changes and exits.
Ford said the system communicates with drivers in a variety of ways, including displaying text and blue illumination signs in the instrument cluster, which they say is even effective for those with color blindness.
The so-called BlueCruise hands-free technology will be offered in other Ford vehicle models in the future, the company said. Drivers who opt for the technology will still receive software updates as it is improved. Ford said future improvements would include a feature that could cause the vehicle to change lanes by tapping on the turn signal, as well as a forecast that would then suggest the vehicle’s speed for the roundabouts and curves. The company also said it plans to offer regular mapping updates.