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Ford Motor (NYSE:F) said today that it has approval to offer hands-free driving, so-called BlueCruise, in Spain.* This is now the third European country to authorize the usage of BlueCruise in addition to Great Britain and Germany. It is also available in the US and Canada. (AutoInformed: Ford Motor Establishes Latitude AI for Autonomous Driving)
“Over the summer, our BlueCruise team conducted thousands of demos with dealers, employees, and customers and the excitement and reaction never gets old! There is a magical moment the first time someone engages BlueCruise and takes their hands off the wheel,” said Ashley Lambrix, General Manager, Ford BlueCruise.
Customers in Great Britain with BlueCruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E vehicles are using BlueCruise today on designated highways called Blue Zones This helps to make driving easier and more enjoyable, especially for long trips or daily commutes in traffic claims Ford. In the coming weeks, customers in Germany and Spain will be able to order BlueCruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E vehicles to use. There are more than 260,000 BlueCruise-equipped Ford and Lincoln vehicles on the road globally. Customers have also spent more than 1.8 million hours enjoying and using BlueCruise and have driven 125 million hands-free miles thus far.
*BlueCruise uses Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), which can automatically keep pace with traffic within legal speed limits down to a complete stop. Hands-free mode allows drivers on approved Blue Zone sections of motorways to drive with their hands off the steering wheel if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead. Before transitioning to hands-free driving, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm that lane markings are visible, that the driver has their eyes on the road and that other conditions are appropriate. The system uses animated cluster transitions with text and blue lighting cues to communicate that the feature is in hands-free mode.
Operating up to a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), BlueCruise uses a combination of radars and cameras to detect and track the position and speed of other vehicles on the road. A forward-facing camera detects lane markings and speed signs and, crucially, the system also uses an infrared driver-facing camera located below the instrument cluster to check the driver’s eye gaze and head pose, even when they are wearing sunglasses, and ensure their attention remains focused on the road.
If the system detects driver inattention, warning messages are first displayed in the instrument cluster, followed by audible alerts, brake activations, and finally slowing of the vehicle while maintaining steering control. Similar actions are performed if the driver fails to place their hands back on the steering wheel when prompted when leaving a Blue Zone.
Ford is also collaborating with regulatory authorities and exploring opportunities to deliver BlueCruise via a future Ford Power-Up software update to Mustang Mach-E models equipped with the optional Tech Pack or Tech Pack + and built prior to 2023.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Hands-Free Driving Ford Mustangs Now in Spain
Click for more.
Ford Motor (NYSE:F) said today that it has approval to offer hands-free driving, so-called BlueCruise, in Spain.* This is now the third European country to authorize the usage of BlueCruise in addition to Great Britain and Germany. It is also available in the US and Canada. (AutoInformed: Ford Motor Establishes Latitude AI for Autonomous Driving)
“Over the summer, our BlueCruise team conducted thousands of demos with dealers, employees, and customers and the excitement and reaction never gets old! There is a magical moment the first time someone engages BlueCruise and takes their hands off the wheel,” said Ashley Lambrix, General Manager, Ford BlueCruise.
Customers in Great Britain with BlueCruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E vehicles are using BlueCruise today on designated highways called Blue Zones This helps to make driving easier and more enjoyable, especially for long trips or daily commutes in traffic claims Ford. In the coming weeks, customers in Germany and Spain will be able to order BlueCruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E vehicles to use. There are more than 260,000 BlueCruise-equipped Ford and Lincoln vehicles on the road globally. Customers have also spent more than 1.8 million hours enjoying and using BlueCruise and have driven 125 million hands-free miles thus far.
*BlueCruise uses Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), which can automatically keep pace with traffic within legal speed limits down to a complete stop. Hands-free mode allows drivers on approved Blue Zone sections of motorways to drive with their hands off the steering wheel if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead. Before transitioning to hands-free driving, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm that lane markings are visible, that the driver has their eyes on the road and that other conditions are appropriate. The system uses animated cluster transitions with text and blue lighting cues to communicate that the feature is in hands-free mode.
Operating up to a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), BlueCruise uses a combination of radars and cameras to detect and track the position and speed of other vehicles on the road. A forward-facing camera detects lane markings and speed signs and, crucially, the system also uses an infrared driver-facing camera located below the instrument cluster to check the driver’s eye gaze and head pose, even when they are wearing sunglasses, and ensure their attention remains focused on the road.
If the system detects driver inattention, warning messages are first displayed in the instrument cluster, followed by audible alerts, brake activations, and finally slowing of the vehicle while maintaining steering control. Similar actions are performed if the driver fails to place their hands back on the steering wheel when prompted when leaving a Blue Zone.
Ford is also collaborating with regulatory authorities and exploring opportunities to deliver BlueCruise via a future Ford Power-Up software update to Mustang Mach-E models equipped with the optional Tech Pack or Tech Pack + and built prior to 2023.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.