Ford BlueCruise
Automated driving was once the kind of thing you would only ever see in a science fiction movie, right up there with robot butlers. A car that drove itself never seemed like something that could actually become real in this lifetime, but with the technological leaps that Ford has made in recent years and the release of Ford BlueCruise, not only are self-driving cars a possibility, they’re a reality that you can experience yourself. Imagine taking a cross-country road trip where you don’t actually drive and can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! That’s the power of Ford BlueCruise, now available on select vehicles.
What is Ford BlueCruise?
Ford BlueCruise, formerly known as Active Drive Assist, is an automated driving technology that allows for completely hands-free driving on prequalified sections of highways, as opposed to other automated driving technologies that require you to keep your hands on the wheel. These areas are called Hands-Free Blue Zones, and they make up over 130,000 miles of North American roads. BlueCruise vehicles use blue lighting on the digital instrument cluster to indicate when the vehicle is in a hands-free zone. The technology uses a driver-facing camera in the instrument cluster to monitor eye direction and head position, ensuring that a driver’s focus remains on the road while using BlueCruise.
How Does Ford BlueCruise Work?
BlueCruise uses several different technologies together to achieve hands-free automated driving, including Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go technology, which helps to maintain set speeds on the road, Lane Centering, which helps the vehicle keep itself in the correct lane lane, and Speed Sign Recognition, which allows the system to determine the appropriate speed automatically. All of these technologies work together to form the BlueCruise system, along with advanced cameras and radar-sensing technologies to guide the car within the road lines, stay at the appropriate speed for the road, and keep it well spaced from the vehicle ahead.
How Can I Use Ford BlueCruise?
Current Ford vehicles with available BlueCruise technology include the F-150, the Expedition, and the Mustang Mach-E, with more vehicles expected to include the feature over time. The miles of BlueCruise approved highways stretch through the entire United States and into Canada. When you’re on a road that has been mapped for BlueCruise automated driving, engage the setting and your instrument panel will light up blue and indicate via text that you’re in hands-free driving mode. From there, just sit back and relax as you watch the road and let your Ford vehicle do all the work!
A self-driving car is something you’re going to want to experience for yourself, so head to Winner Ford in Cherry Hill, NJ today to take a test drive in one of our new vehicles equipped with Ford Blue Cruise. You can contact us here to schedule an appointment or for more information, and you can browse our available inventory online to take a look at what we have in stock.