BlueCruise 1.2 Update Includes Hands-Free Lane Changing

[Rabidsquirrel22]

**Press Release**

BLUECRUISE ADDS HANDS-FREE LANE CHANGING, TECH TO MAKE ROAD-SHARING EASY WITH BIGGER VEHICLES ON KEY 2023 MODELS

September 8, 2022

• Three new features coming to next-gen Ford BlueCruise 1.2 – starting this fall with the 2023 Mustang Mach-E – as well as Lincoln ActiveGlide 1.2 – including hands-free lane changing for easier passing, in-lane repositioning to more confidently share roadways with larger vehicles and predictive speed assist to smoothly reduce speed entering tight curves
• Ford has built an in-house team dedicated to constantly improving BlueCruise – adding features and enhancing its Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) with experiences that offer a more human-like driving feel
• More than 75,000 Ford and Lincoln owners have enrolled in BlueCruise and ActiveGlide, with more than 16 million hands-free driving miles accumulated through the end of August

Ford Motor Company continues making hands-free driving even better by launching BlueCruise 1.2* and Lincoln ActiveGlide 1.2 with new features – including hands-free lane changing – and system updates to create more of a human-like driving feel.

The available new system starts arriving on vehicles from the factory this fall – beginning with the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

“We are investing in our ADAS team to constantly improve BlueCruise and ActiveGlide for our customers,” said Doug Field, Chief EV & Digital Systems Officer, Ford Model e. “The latest improvements allow customers to command lane changes using just a turn signal, and make hands-free driving feel more human-like by smoothly slowing down for turns, and giving more room to large vehicles in neighboring lanes. These improvements are just the beginning of a constant journey toward improving safety and giving customers valuable time back.”

Available BlueCruise 1.2 and ActiveGlide 1.2 include three new features:

• Lane Change Assist can help drivers move through traffic on the freeway with more confidence while using BlueCruise. The system will perform a hands-free lane change when requested by the driver tapping the turn signal, and it can even suggest if a lane change would be beneficial when following slow-moving traffic.
• Predictive Speed Assist automatically and smoothly adjusts the speed as drivers approach a sharp curve and will help signal the driver ahead of time when a speed change is about to occur, so they understand why the vehicle is slowing.
• In-Lane Repositioning makes the hands-free highway driving experience feel more natural, keeping the vehicle in its lane while subtly shifting the vehicle’s position away from vehicles in adjacent lanes – especially helpful when next to bigger vehicles such as semis.

Ford engineers also are dedicated to improving its ADAS to deliver more human-like driving performance, in addition to refining visuals, sensing and steering experiences. They’ve also been continually improving maps with over-the-air updates identifying prequalified sections of divided highways where BlueCruise can be used – currently spanning more than 130,000 miles.

Once a pre-qualified road is identified, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles sense and help confirm lane lines are visible, the driver has his or her eyes on the road and other conditions appropriate before transitioning to hands-free driving. BlueCruise uses animated cluster transitions featuring text and blue lighting cues to communicate that the feature is in hands-free mode, effective even for those with color blindness.

Collectively, 75,000 Ford and Lincoln owners enrolled in BlueCruise and ActiveGlide, with more than 16 million hands-free driving miles accumulated through the end of August.

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[dougni]

Sounds pretty good. Wonder how long it will take to come as an OTA update

 

[notaek]

So 2023 Mach-E's get it first...boo

 

[RickMachE]

Notice the absence of when it's coming to existing vehicles. That is NOT unintentional.

 

[Rabidsquirrel22]

So 2023 Mach-E's get it first...boo

That video gives a small glimpse of the UI refresh too. At least some updated menu icons and new stuff at the top of the screen.

 

[Neil4Real]

Notice the absence of when it's coming to existing vehicles. That is NOT unintentional.

My thoughts too, but further to that point, if it is even coming at all to older ones..

 

[jason330i]

well, the 2023 models are definitely charging a premium for first access.

 

[Rabidsquirrel22]

My thoughts too, but further to that point, if it is even coming at all to older ones..

Someone with a Twitter account should ask Mike Levine about that.

 

[RickMachE]

My thoughts too, but further to that point, if it is even coming at all to older ones..

It has been clearly stated that it is coming to all vehicles that have BlueCruise.

 

[notaek]

Someone with a Twitter account should ask Mike Levine about that.

Tons of replies already asking that

 

[Vulnox]

Notice the absence of when it's coming to existing vehicles. That is NOT unintentional.

Right, every other new feature launch has indicated previous model years it would roll out to eventually. It's pretty crappy if Ford is just going to continue their old automotive world mindset of only new vehicles get new features, despite very clearly saying over and over the past few years that OTA was the future and new features would come to existing cars, etc. I don't care even the smallest bit about Alexa, that garbage will be disabled the second the OTA comes to my truck or MME. But stuff like this should be there since Ford has had this on the BC roadmap for years. No excuse for lack of hardware or whatever if they know it is coming.

They hurt themselves too because I imagine many of us with BlueCruise would pay an upgrade charge to add the feature as long as it is reasonable.

Maybe it will come to older cars and the press release was just lazy on the wording, or they don't want a repeat of the initial BC launch where they missed every timeline given, but I am not holding my breath and am pretty disappointed, especially since our 2022 isn't even delivered yet.

Before anyone says something like, "but new model years have always had new features or colors or whatever", I get that. But that is old auto sales thinking. My point is Ford has indicated through OTA, many things are possible to keep on the road vehicles updated. I am not asking for an OTA to add cooled seats or something if they eventually introduce them to the MME, I am just asking for basic competence when it comes to features like this which they knew were coming for a long while.

 

[Neil4Real]

It has been clearly stated that it is coming to all vehicles that have BlueCruise.

Where has it been stated? In the past they’ve said they’re working on it, but that could have changed and now it’s only 2023 onwards. Even the title of the release is: BLUECRUISE ADDS HANDS-FREE LANE CHANGING, TECH TO MAKE ROAD-SHARING EASY WITH BIGGER VEHICLES ON KEY 2023 MODELS

 

[Vulnox]

It has been clearly stated that it is coming to all vehicles that have BlueCruise.

Where? The only mention I see on the press release or the AtFord is
"The available new system starts arriving on vehicles from the factory this fall – beginning with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. "

The AtFord article goes even further to specifically say, 2023 models starting production this fall. I haven't so far seen anything that says "All BlueCruise Capable" vehicles, without it being in the same sentence as "in production this fall". I would love to be wrong on it though.

 

[notaek]

That video gives a small glimpse of the UI refresh too. At least some updated menu icons and new stuff at the top of the screen.

I was looking for those changes too. Underwhelming if that's it.

 

[notaek]

RIP 2021 and 2022 models...

The question is if BlueCruise 1.2 is software, hardware or both.

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