Blue Cruise Subscription Older Mach E

[zelkito]

This video suggests it’s not as seamless as I was thinking. Lots of wires and addition hardware on the window and it seems to occupy the OBD completely. Is this right?

The installation took me about 1-1.5h and I am not "GREAT" at doing those things to be honest. This means, it is totally doable. I agree with TechWhisperer comment:

It ends up being a single USB-C cable (provided by comma) that runs to the back of the car and plugs into the ADAS module via the harness provided by comma.

It's just that one cable you need to route from the trunk to the front of the car but it is quite simple once you've done it once. I am running BluePilot and it is awesome. I do 75% of my driving hands free at this point.

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[AZBill]

99% sure the “map” is a geofence allowing blue cruise or not. And that hands free and hands off works exactly the same and Ford could easily enable hands free on all marked roads if they wanted….

But if it makes someone feel better to think roads are constantly getting mapped for an algorithm that works by reading line markings more power to them.

The mapping is there for safety, not for performance. Unless Ford adds Lidar, which Rivian and GM have already announced they will be adding, then no hands free unless roads are mapped. The mapping provides a "ground truth" that can be compared to what the camera sees, if there is a significant difference, it disengages hands free.

 

[SonicBlue]

The mapping is there for safety, not for performance. Unless Ford adds Lidar, which Rivian and GM have already announced they will be adding, then no hands free unless roads are mapped. The mapping provides a "ground truth" that can be compared to what the camera sees, if there is a significant difference, it disengages hands free.

Sounds Cool! Where has this been documented or otherwise verified in any way by Ford? Because I kinda think the mapping is only a rough geofence and our cars lack the processing power to be actually relying upon map data to enhance the accuracy of lane keeping in any way whatsoever.

 

[SigSauer]

Our window sticker shows BC as part of the total car package. It lists BO sound systems. Does Ford plan to charge a :Speaker Fee"? Maybe a fee to use the computer screen or a tire fee.

Hey FORD this is not the way to build customer service.

 

[Sikkun]

The mapping is there for safety, not for performance. Unless Ford adds Lidar, which Rivian and GM have already announced they will be adding, then no hands free unless roads are mapped. The mapping provides a "ground truth" that can be compared to what the camera sees, if there is a significant difference, it disengages hands free.

Except Rivian doesn’t have Lidar currently and DOES have universal hands free on all marked roads….

You don’t need the mapping. And no one is really pointing to where Ford are really updating said maps…

 

[NY_Cade69]

But the Rivian has an additional 6 cameras (total of 11 exterior)...

 

[Sikkun]

But the Rivian has an additional 6 cameras (total of 11 exterior)...

And your Mach E can already fully control the vehicle when you apply a tiny bit of torque to the wheel on a non BC road.

The road being mapped isn’t causing the car to be able to be hands free or not from a driving standpoint.

And if we are supposed to believe the map is super important…clearly subscription cost are not going to update it…..

So your really just having the privilege to pay a subscription to unlock a capability that is already built into your vehicle, while receiving no updates to it.

 

[NY_Cade69]

So your really just having the privilege to pay a subscription to unlock a capability that is already built into your vehicle, while receiving no updates to it.

No, your subscription is paying forward for all the improvements that went into the 2025+ Bluecruise 1.5. Thanks!

 

[TechWhisperer]

And your Mach E can already fully control the vehicle when you apply a tiny bit of torque to the wheel on a non BC road.

The road being mapped isn’t causing the car to be able to be hands free or not from a driving standpoint.

And if we are supposed to believe the map is super important…clearly subscription cost are not going to update it…..

So your really just having the privilege to pay a subscription to unlock a capability that is already built into your vehicle, while receiving no updates to it.

I used to get annoyed when bc would disable because of sunglare at dawn and dusk.

My comma does not have this issue. It rarely disengages. It also works on most roads as it does not rely on maps.

 

[Sikkun]

I used to get annoyed when bc would disable because of sunglare at dawn and dusk.

My comma does not have this issue. It rarely disengages. It also works on most roads as it does not rely on maps.

The IR nanny cam is horrible also. I finally am able to get it to stay on at night if I hold my head in the right position and don’t move at all.

I enjoy BC but the older models cost was ridiculous. New Mach E get it for LIFE for cheaper than older models got a 3 year subscription.

So Ford is asking for more money when you have already paid a “lifetime” worth by their new math. AND you no longer get updates?

 

[Maui]

I finally am able to get it to stay on at night if I hold my head in the right position and don’t move at all.

I’ve found it’s less sensitive if you use sunglasse, obviously not great at night

 

[AZBill]

Sounds Cool! Where has this been documented or otherwise verified in any way by Ford? Because I kinda think the mapping is only a rough geofence and our cars lack the processing power to be actually relying upon map data to enhance the accuracy of lane keeping in any way whatsoever.

Map data cannot be used for lane centering, the accuracy of GPS is 3 meters, at best. I used to work for a company that supplied enginnering software for development of control systems and AI perception systems. All the major car makers used our software. I have run models of these systems, not directly a specific OEM though, just a generic example.

Radar is used for adaptive cruise, along with vehicle speed. That is a purely mathematical control system with no AI involved. Lane centering uses the camera with an AI perception algorithm. Those algorithms have uncertainty and cannot be shown to be 100% correct.

Consider this, Tesla only uses a camera and no maps, but they are always under some investigation for safety issues. Can a system work most of the time wihtout a secondary safety system? Yes it can work most of the time, but is it safe 100% of the time? I spent my career in aerospace and and performed many safety analyses, so I am skeptical of any system that relies on a single sensor.

 

[SonicBlue]

Map data cannot be used for lane centering, the accuracy of GPS is 3 meters, at best. I used to work for a company that supplied enginnering software for development of control systems and AI perception systems. All the major car makers used our software. I have run models of these systems, not directly a specific OEM though, just a generic example.

Radar is used for adaptive cruise, along with vehicle speed. That is a purely mathematical control system with no AI involved. Lane centering uses the camera with an AI perception algorithm. Those algorithms have uncertainty and cannot be shown to be 100% correct.

Consider this, Tesla only uses a camera and no maps, but they are always under some investigation for safety issues. Can a system work most of the time wihtout a secondary safety system? Yes it can work most of the time, but is it safe 100% of the time? I spent my career in aerospace and and performed many safety analyses, so I am skeptical of any system that relies on a single sensor.

Right. Thanks for confirming.

 

[NY_Cade69]

The mapped roads are those roads which Ford has analyzed, and is confident within some specified margin of error that the BlueCruise system will operate properly.

Can the system work on unmapped roads? Probably, but not within the limits that Ford is willing to accept.

As for Tesla, they just think of the failures as rapid unscheduled disassemblies, and part of the real-time learning process. They have not yet been found liable to the extant that it would impact them. Totalled equals some little accident.

I drive a Ford...

 

[SonicBlue]

The mapped roads are those roads which Ford has analyzed, and is confident within some specified margin of error that the BlueCruise system will operate properly.

Can the system work on unmapped roads? Probably, but not within the limits that Ford is willing to accept.

You’re not really understanding this. Some of us have been driving these cars and experimenting with BlueCruise - both the “hands free” and “hands on” variants for the better part of four years.

The Blue Zones - the geofence within which Ford permits Hands Free BlueCruise - are divided highways. It’s this division in the highway that gives Ford enough comfort to go hands free from a liability standpoint. That’s it.

There is absolutely zero difference in the Lane Keeping capability between Hands On and Hands Free BlueCruise. None. Nadda. Zip. Lane Keeping is 100% exclusively an optical function provided by the single MobileEye camera. That’s all there is to it. It is not a function of mapping or confidence.

Now, @Ford Motor Company could chime in to verify everything I’ve said above. But he won’t.

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