Blue Cruise Availability Date

[timbop]

Its insane it can handle a curve with hands on the wheel fine but disengages without real warning when you are using it hands free. Where is the sense in that?

It is unclear that it "disengages". It did prompt munro to put his hands on the wheel, which is not necessarily the same thing. It would make sense that the auto lane centering was still engaged but the BC software asks for "backup" in case it starts to stray from the lane in the curve due to who-knows-what reason. Ford is obviously being overly cautious because they've learned to be from 118 years of being in business (and getting sued aplenty during that time). Just because other companies are blase' with safety doesn't mean every company is

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[lweisenthal]

>>Its insane it can handle a curve with hands on the wheel fine but disengages without real warning when you are using it hands free. Where is the sense in that?<<

I don't think it's at all "insane!" Let's think this through. Driver is cruising along, hands free. Maybe drinking a coffee or eating a sandwich. Car (in a blue zone) approaches a curve ... problem isn't just the Mach-E, it's the other drivers, where other cars (or truck trailers) may drift across lane lines. So Blue Cruise anticipates this ... provides warning that driver must be alert to a change in status.

This is different from a Tesla-like situation. Where the driver is supposed to have the hands engaged on the wheel and therefore in more active engagement. Absent true hands free (i.e. when the Mach-E is just running standard level 2, not Blue Cruise), there isn't an urgent reason to actively re-engage the driver. So the car simply proceeds along the course, assuming that the presumably already engaged driver remains engaged.

Point is, though, that it's important to make Apples to Apples comparisons. Mach E Blue Cruise is hands free. Tesla and other similar systems to which it is being compared are not. What would be more relevant would be comparing Blue Cruise with, for example, Super Cruise.

Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach

 

[samev]

I think there is some confusion ... your comparison with Tesla (and "other brands") isn't Apples to Apples.

I've been using the adaptive cruise/lane centering/lane keeping on my Mach-E since March. It handles all freeway curves which have unambiguous lane lines on both sides -- including sharp connector curves between two freeways.

What's being discussed here is *hands free* driving! From the videos I've watched, hands free disengages very conservatively, which is appropriate. Meaning one must drive with hands having at least light pressure on the steering wheel (as is required by Tesla, although there are drivers who use various maneuvers to defeat the steering wheel pressure system which is supposed to ensure that drivers are engaged).

Point is, the Mach-E negotiates road curves just fine, when in "Tesla-driving" mode, meaning when hands are engaged with steering wheel. In situations where one is driving in true hands free mode, the system is conservative and requires the driver to put hands back on the wheel.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach

That's good to know, maybe Ford is just being a tad conservative in the initial go-around with BC. There is potential to significantly scale up hands-free freeway driving utilizing just one front-facing camera - just look at what comma.ai has done with Openpilot.

 

[Indy Mike]

Co-Pilot 360 or Blue cruise? Not sure which is the correct name for hands free. We took delivery 2/26/2021. Where do I look to see if we have an update available for it?

 

[timbop]

We don't know yet about how you'll be notified of it's availability because no one has been yet. New GT's are being delivered with it so it is obviously available "factory installed", but not OTA as of today. I joined the "early access" program for it but haven't heard a peep yet.

 

[Indy Mike]

We don't know yet about how you'll be notified of it's availability because no one has been yet. New GT's are being delivered with it so it is obviously available "factory installed", but not OTA as of today. I joined the "early access" program for it but haven't heard a peep yet.

Thanks. How can we join the early access program?

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Cars built after 8/1 have the software pre-installed at the factory. The rest of us (assuming cars already have the hardware) have to wait for it to download and install.

I am in the Early Access program for BlueCruise ... but I haven't seen anything become available yet.

 

[Indy Mike]

Cars built after 8/1 have the software pre-installed at the factory. The rest of us (assuming cars already have the hardware) have to wait for it to download and install.

I am in the Early Access program for BlueCruise ... but I haven't seen anything become available yet.

How do we get into the early access program?

 

[timbop]

How do we get into the early access program?

At this point you need a "specially modified" 1985 Delorean

 

[Indy Mike]

At this point you need a "specially modified" 1985 Delorean
[/] So you really don’t have early access

 

[JCHLi]

If you go to the earlyaccess.ford.com website you might be able to sign up for the wait-list.. however, my personal, uniformed opinion is, you'll likely get BlueCruise at the same time regardless.

 

[mkhuffman]

So I have a Premium ER on order, but I am considering trying to get a GT instead. The base GT does not have BlueCruise. Does anyone know what kind of cruise control is available on the base GT? I assume it is adaptive cruise, but I hate to make a decision based on an assumption. And the Ford dealer sales staff is unlikely to have a clue.

 

[Nemshick_s]

With almost 39 years of software development behind me, I'm going to reword this. "Ford MARKETING has a history of setting dates that makes ENGINEERING say "What is wrong with you people? Do you all share 1 brain cell amongst the entire team? In the future, please come talk to us first."." I've lived through many such moments, even had our VP of sales once turn red with shock when I explained why the device we were designing was round. Said, to a room full of engineers/IT folks, "If it's round, it'll roll off your desk and get lost. Then you need to buy a new one." They all laughed, he about exploded. My best day ever with sales!!!!!

So True about Marketing...

 

[JoeDimwit]

With almost 39 years of software development behind me, I'm going to reword this. "Ford MARKETING has a history of setting dates that makes ENGINEERING say "What is wrong with you people? Do you all share 1 brain cell amongst the entire team? In the future, please come talk to us first."." I've lived through many such moments, even had our VP of sales once turn red with shock when I explained why the device we were designing was round. Said, to a room full of engineers/IT folks, "If it's round, it'll roll off your desk and get lost. Then you need to buy a new one." They all laughed, he about exploded. My best day ever with sales!!!!!

There are vehicles in customer hands with BlueCruise working. That means the engineers are done with it. At least where making it functional is concerned. Ford gas sent out several ota updates to validate that system. It’s past time to ship it.

 

[BMT1071]

There are vehicles in customer hands with BlueCruise working. That means the engineers are done with it. At least where making it functional is concerned. Ford gas sent out several ota updates to validate that system. It’s past time to ship it.

There has to be a good reason they are not pushing it OTA. Not that I have any idea what that reason is. I say this because as soon as they can provide it they'll be collecting $600 from every taker.

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