Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving technology can now be used in a total of 15 European countries, following approval by the EU’s regulator, the European Commission.
This unlocks access to more than 133,000 kilometers (82,744 miles) of designated highways across Europe, called Blue Zones, allowing customers to take a road trip across multiple countries using the ADAS feature where fitted on Ford cars.
Ford says the Level 2 “hands-off, eyes-on” advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is now also the most widely available system of its kind in Europe. BlueCruise available and approved for customers to purchase on all new Mustang Mach-E vehicles sold in a total of 20 countries globally. Additionally, current owners with earlier model year Mustang Mach-E vehicles in select countries will be eligible to receive a software update in the future to activate BlueCruise.
In 2023, BlueCruise was the first system of its kind to gain approval when it launched in the UK.
“We believe BlueCruise can make highway driving easier and more enjoyable whether you are in stop-and-go traffic or on a long road trip, and with this recent ruling it will allow us to offer even more customers access to BlueCruise across Europe,” said Ashley Lambrix, BlueCruise general manager, Ford Motor Company. “Expanding the availability of Blue Zones beyond Great Britain, Germany and Spain is also a huge milestone for us, allowing customers to use BlueCruise for a multi-country road trip.”
When BlueCruise is engaged, the system controls the steering, acceleration, braking, lane positioning and safe distances from the vehicle ahead by monitoring the road markings, speed signs and evolving traffic conditions, from highway speeds right down to a complete halt in traffic jams. Drivers using BlueCruise in Blue Zones can drive with their hands off the steering wheel so long as they continue to pay attention to the road ahead.
To ensure drivers keep their eyes on the road while their hands are off the wheel, a driver-facing camera located below the instrument cluster checks the driver’s eye gaze and head position – even when they are wearing sunglasses.
