An ode to BlueCruise

[eponey]

Dear Ford,

You made this thing called BlueCruise, you might have forgotten. You map roads but it doesn't seem like you update them very often. It helps to keep updating a feature you expect us to pay a subscription for, but I totally understand the whole we forgot about most of our early adopters for a few years thing, they were pretty mean after all, but don't take it out on the rest of us.

Yours Truly,
Some random person
@Ford Motor Company

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[SuperD]

Curtesy of generative AI in the style of a certain childhood storyteller.

There once roared a pony, all shiny and free,
The electric marvel called Mustang Mach-E.
It zipped and it zoomed with a whirr and a hum,
With a trunk full of torque and a cabin so yum.

But oh! What a joy came with buttons so new—
A feature named BlueCruise, who knew what it could do?
It steered and it braked with no hands on the wheel,
Like magic, it drove with autonomous zeal!

“Go straight down the highway!” said BlueCruise with pride.
“No touching required—just sit back and ride!”
It saw all the lanes and the traffic ahead,
While Mach-E's driver leaned back with no dread.

But there came a small catch, and it wasn't quite fair—
You must pay for BlueCruise, though it’s already there!
A subscription! A fee! Oh, what a strange fuss—
For a car so advanced, that felt slightly unjust.

“If they gave it out freely,” said a voice from the dash,
“More Mach-Es would use me and save all that cash!”
The sensors all blinked and the cameras agreed,
This feature’s so nifty—it ought to be freed!

So they started a campaign, a movement, a drive,
To make BlueCruise included for Mach-Es to thrive.
With rhymes and with reasons, they spread the good news:
“Let every Mach-E enjoy the BlueCruise!”

And until that day comes when it’s offered with cheer,
They’ll keep paying the fee—though it still feels austere.
But one thing is certain, through tech and through time,
That Ford’s little cruise sure inspired a rhyme.

 

[LLT]

I hope if they make it free I can have back the $1,000 on my factory invoice. I asked if the 7-yr Blue Cruise could be removed (it’s gotta be just a keystroke!), and the dealer told me it couldn’t. I figure if I have to keep my eyes on the road and my hands poised to take the wheel, why bother with BC.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Mustangs are red
Cruising is blue
Brian doesn't make the price
But he will tell those that do

 

[vikingman]

We activated the three-month BlueCruise trial just before our summer holidays.

Nice to try it out, although the experience is a mixed bag:

We knew in advance that it’s only legally released in the EU and the UK on this side of the Atlantic, and that some countries apparently forbid it anyway - so not a second of BC when we were in Norway. Oh, well.

It works well in areas like Denmark and Belgium.

In Germany, there is just too much traffic and too many roadworks for it to be of much help.

In France, it’s funny how only the A roads are BC-enabled, and many controlled access N roads are not. Some controlled access highways merely change names for administrative purposes (example: A330 becomes N57 after a while - and then BC goes to sleep ). @Ford Motor Company - is there an explanation?

And my favorite point: Luxembourg doesn’t exist in BlueCruiseland.. It isn’t listed on the Ford website as one of the places that has prohibited it, so it seems like @Ford Motor Company (with their European HQ right next door) simply forgot about us Hopefully, Brian, not AI has a good explanation…

The screenshot also shows some of the highways in France, where BC cuts out simply because the road changes its name:

 

[Ford Motor Company]

We activated the three-month BlueCruise trial just before our summer holidays.

Nice to try it out, although the experience is a mixed bag:

We knew in advance that it’s only legally released in the EU and the UK on this side of the Atlantic, and that some countries apparently forbid it anyway - so not a second of BC when we were in Norway. Oh, well.

It works well in areas like Denmark and Belgium.

In Germany, there is just too much traffic and too many roadworks for it to be of much help.

In France, it’s funny how only the A roads are BC-enabled, and many controlled access N roads are not. Some controlled access highways merely change names for administrative purposes (example: A330 becomes N57 after a while - and then BC goes to sleep ). @Ford Motor Company - is there an explanation?

And my favorite point: Luxembourg doesn’t exist in BlueCruiseland.. It isn’t listed on the Ford website as one of the places that has prohibited it, so it seems like @Ford Motor Company (with their European HQ right next door) simply forgot about us Hopefully, Brian, not AI has a good explanation…

The screenshot also shows some of the highways in France, where BC cuts out simply because the road changes its name:

I don't have an answer for you, but I can try and find out.

 

[Sikkun]

@Ford Motor Company Would be nice if the people who paid MORE for 3 years of BlueCruise, than what is being charge for LIFETIME BlueCruise today were upgraded accordingly. Might even be called just or fair. Certainly would be good PR and customer service.

 

[phil]

Dear Ford,

You made this thing called BlueCruise, you might have forgotten. You map roads but it doesn't seem like you update them very often. It helps to keep updating a feature you expect us to pay a subscription for, but I totally understand the whole we forgot about most of our early adopters for a few years thing, they were pretty mean after all, but don't take it out on the rest of us.

Yours Truly,
Some random person
@Ford Motor Company

I don't think this qualifies as an ode.

 

[vikingman]

I don't have an answer for you, but I can try and find out.

That would be nice

 

[vikingman]

I realize that my summary didn’t include any conclusions (or an ode for that matter).

We finally concluded that it’s nice to have- since our frequent trips to Brussels are 86% BC and even more frequent trips to France are 43% BC.. We keep it active for the time being in the hope that the percentage will increase over time.

It’s actually nice to have a quite well-performing feature that doesn’t over promise and under deliver.. And that doesn’t encourage people to break the law and inspire them to do stupid things..

 

[vikingman]

That would be nice

@Ford Motor Company Brian, any update about BlueCruise in our “forgotten” area ?

 

[matwlev]

I would think it would be in Ford’s best interest to come up with a price for BlueCruise that would be a “no-brainer” for owners of ANY vehicle that supports it. Why wouldn’t they want to continue making money on a car even after it’s been sold and repurchased as a used vehicle? If people don’t think it’s worth it and don’t pay for it, Ford makes nothing. Some money is better than no money, right?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Somehow the thread title just caused me to think of Bobbie Gentry’s rather old country tune, “Ode to Billie Joe.”

 

[vikingman]

@Ford Motor Company Brian, any update about BlueCruise in our “forgotten” area ?

@Ford Motor Company Brian, not AI : Now that FoMoCo will start offering BlueCruise on a bunch of vehicles in Europe (nice, then we know that the feature isn’t going away soon ), can you ask your colleagues again about insights into plans of increasing coverage in small countries, like the one next to their European HQ (Hint ) ?

 

[Jimrpa]

I realize that my summary didn’t include any conclusions (or an ode for that matter).

We finally concluded that it’s nice to have- since our frequent trips to Brussels are 86% BC and even more frequent trips to France are 43% BC.. We keep it active for the time being in the hope that the percentage will increase over time.

It’s actually nice to have a quite well-performing feature that doesn’t over promise and under deliver.. And that doesn’t encourage people to break the law and inspire them to do stupid things..

Not to denigrate Luxembourg, but isn't it a very small country (basically a city-state, like Monaco or Lichtenstein)? Could that be the reason BlueCruise isn't available there? I don't think it's available inside any cities?

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