BlueCruise year end recap: how much did you drive hands-free?

[macchiaz-o]

@Ford Motor Company (via EAP) offered to provide me with my hands free driving stats for 2024. They provided stats that I'm free to share so here goes:

8,887 miles from 1/1/2024 through 12/13/2024 means that about 80% of my total miles driven are hands-free (on the highway). I had no idea!! Hands-free driving is only available on the highway, so this also means I'm doing a lot more highway driving than I'd realized. I figured hands-free highway would be less than 40% of my total miles driven, as I felt as though I was often mixing up my normal routes by using surface streets.

How much of your driving is hands-free?

Here's a screenshot from the short video Ford sent me. I suppose "Titanium" should have said "Premium" but I'd like to cut them some slack. One fix at a time.

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[GreaseMonkey]

Titanium is a premium metal, so there’s that.

 

[Rt1AWD]

How to get that info?

 

[carbonizedbrett]

That's a pretty high average speed, too - 70mph! Not too much stop & go in traffic I guess?

 

[dalola]

Maybe I'm the minority here, but about 5 min of BC was enough for me... the stress of wondering when it might malfunction & self destruct was much greater than the stress of just driving!

I quite honestly don't get the obsession with hands-free driving. But then again, I'm border line OCD with control issues, so....

 

[Jimrpa]

What is a Titanium Mustang Mach-E?

 

[Snakebitten]

Maybe I'm the minority here, but about 5 min of BC was enough for me... the stress of wondering when it might malfunction & self destruct was much greater than the stress of just driving!

I quite honestly don't get the obsession with hands-free driving. But then again, I'm border line OCD with control issues, so....

The obsession isn't with actually using Bluecruise.

Nobody actually uses it.

Too expensive
Chevy is better
Tesla is better
Kia is better

They just want the update cuz.......
Well I don't really know why.

Sorry. Couldn't resist
Really good coffee this morning

Note: I'm a Bluecruise fan. Just not in the Mach-E, which rarely sees Bluecruise travel

 

[macchiaz-o]

That's a pretty high average speed, too - 70mph! Not too much stop & go in traffic I guess?

Yeah I noticed that, too. I disable cruise control in hectic conditions, so those portions aren't part of my hands free highway driving stats. And when I can visually see the highway is obviously backed up before I even get on it, or if I see an issue when I spot check Google Maps, I take surface streets instead.

I'm also able to use the HOV lane. I just use it when traffic is backed up though because in smooth flowing traffic, I'm one of the slower cars on the road around here so I stay further to the right.

So I'm basically only using hands free highway driving for the calmest conditions, and I guess I've arranged my work schedule to optimize for a calm commute so I'm able to use BC as much as possible (i.e. arrive after 9 am and don't leave work until around 7).

 

[macchiaz-o]

How to get that info?

Looking back through my emails, I was wrong when I said this was because of the early access program... This was actually from Ford's marketing team. I got on their email list by attending a couple events they hosted in Phoenix this summer. Cars and Coffee followed by Electrify Expo.

 

[vsguru]

I use BC whenever it's available. Most of the roads and highways nearest to me aren't mapped yet but the Interstates are so, that's when I use BC (1.3 recently) and it's 95% great. It does disengage briefly in places I wouldn't expect, but I get warnings when it does. BC warns to be observant and be ready to go hands on at any time. Of course there's always knee based BC!

 

[Jimrpa]

I use BlueCruise whenever I can. I like the product. I’m sure Ford will be discontinuing it soon

 

[rhougey]

How much of your driving is hands-free?

To the best of my recollection:
1/1/24-12/13/24=0%
1/1/23-12/31/23=0%
1/1/22-12/31/22=0.0006%
I don’t think I’ll ask Ford what their records show.

 

[Sikkun]

Maybe I'm the minority here, but about 5 min of BC was enough for me... the stress of wondering when it might malfunction & self destruct was much greater than the stress of just driving!

I quite honestly don't get the obsession with hands-free driving. But then again, I'm border line OCD with control issues, so....

I’ve driven across Missouri before without needing to slow down or pass another vehicle for over 5 hours. Straight and flat…unless BC is going to randomly decided to turn into a corn field or chase a cow, not a lot to worry about on a drive like that.

 

[ATL]

What is a Titanium Mustang Mach-E?

Aah, you've got the Jeopardy answer to the question:

"What would Ford most likely name it's new high line EV model?"

 

[david_quick]

Just a guess but anytime I’m going more than 30 miles from home it comes on. During our road trip last summer BC did 90% of the interstate driving.

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