Ford’s BlueCruise 1.2 system is set to arrive on new vehicles leaving the factory this fall, starting with the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E. As the American automaker continues to improve its ADAS to deliver more human-like driving performance, the next-generation system will add three main new features: Lane Change Assist, Predictive Speed Assist, and In-Lane Repositioning. Perhaps the most exciting of the three is Lane Change Assist, which will perform a hands-free lane change. The driver can simply tap the turn signal to request the lane change, and the system will even suggest lane changes in slow-moving traffic.
Predictive Speed Assist will help to create a more human-like driving experience, as it will automatically and smoothly adjust the speed of the vehicle when it approaches a sharp curve. The system will also notify the driver ahead of time that a speed change is occurring. Lastly, In-Lane Repositioning helps keep the vehicle in its lane, subtly shifting its position away from vehicles in adjacent lanes. This is a bit different than Lane Keeping Assist system, which works to keep a vehicle within the lane itself.
In addition to focusing on a more human-like driving experience, Ford engineers have also refined the visuals, sensing, and steering experiences BlueCruise and Lincoln ActiveGlide have to offer. Over-the-air updates have been used to improve the maps that identify prequalified sections of divided highways where the systems can be used. The American automaker says those identified sections of highway currently spans over 130,000 miles. In total, 75,000 Ford and Lincoln owners have enrolled in BlueCruise and ActiveGlide, and over 16-million hands-free driving miles have been done through the end of August 2022.
“We are investing in our ADAS team to constantly improve BlueCruise and ActiveGlide for our customers,” said Doug Field, Chief EV & Digital Systems Officer, Ford Model e. “The latest improvements allow customers to command lane changes using just a turn signal, and make hands-free driving feel more human-like by smoothly slowing down for turns, and giving more room to large vehicles in neighboring lanes. These improvements are just the beginning of a constant journey toward improving safety and, in the future, giving customers valuable time back.”
The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select and 2023 Lincoln Navigator Standard will include a 90-day trial of BlueCruise and ActiveGlide, respectively. After the trial, owners will have the option to purchase a three-year connected service plan with regular map updates.
