Ford’s Enhanced & Complimentary BlueCruise Experience

With a recent update, it’s clear that Ford is extremely committed to evolving its BlueCruise platform toward providing even better hands-free highway driving. The latest advancement involves the incorporation of BlueCruise hardware as a standard feature from the factory, aiming to offer greater flexibility to a wider range of customers.

Ford’s updated strategy includes the ability for drivers to engage with BlueCruise features at a greater variety of points during their journeys on the road. This ranges from activation at the time of purchase to opting for annual or even monthly activations. To provide an enhanced experience, customers also get access to a complimentary trial period to explore BlueCruise before making a commitment.

Anticipating the broader adoption of this technology, Ford is gearing up to install BlueCruise hardware on approximately 500,000 vehicles for the 2024 model year across its Ford and Lincoln lines in North America. This expansion includes both electric and gas-powered vehicle options.

Ashley Lambrix, Head of Commercial Acceleration, highlights the transformative nature of BlueCruise. Lambrix notes that customers are frequently astonished by how BlueCruise contributes to stress-free and enjoyable driving, especially during traffic or long journeys. Lambrix asserts the company’s belief in the technology’s potential to revolutionize highway driving and expresses a commitment to affording more customers the chance to experience it, while also allowing them the flexibility to activate it as they see fit.

Ford’s novel approach to BlueCruise activation seeks to cater to diverse customer preferences. Enthusiasts of the technology can opt for vehicles with BlueCruise pre-activated for three years, which can be conveniently included in the vehicle’s financing. On the other hand, for those who wish to sample BlueCruise first, a 90-day complimentary trial is available following vehicle purchase.

After the trial period concludes, or at any point during ownership, customers can choose to activate BlueCruise annually or monthly, without being tied to a fixed commitment period. This design caters to both frequent and occasional users, allowing them to tailor their experience to their specific needs.

As for pricing, activating BlueCruise for Ford customers can be done upfront for $2,100 for three years at the time of order or vehicle purchase. For those who opt not to activate initially, they can select an annual plan for $800 or a monthly plan for $75 after the complimentary trial. Ford recognizes that the demand for BlueCruise will vary, and thus refrains from imposing a minimum activation period, enabling users to tailor their usage according to their unique circumstances.

Notably, Ford’s expansion of BlueCruise’s flexible offering extends to Lincoln vehicles as well. The 2024 Lincoln Navigator and Lincoln Nautilus series, along with select trims of the Lincoln Corsair, come equipped with BlueCruise hardware. Additionally, the upcoming all-new Nautilus will debut with BlueCruise technology. Depending on the vehicle trim, customers will receive either four years of BlueCruise access included or a 90-day complimentary trial, with the option to select annual or monthly plans.

The impact of BlueCruise is evident in the 1.4 million hours customers have spent utilizing it, covering over 100 million miles. Ford’s ongoing commitment to improvement is evident through its dedicated in-house team of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) engineers. Over 225,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles globally are equipped with BlueCruise hardware, which facilitates the deployment of enhancements through software updates, based on large-scale customer data.

Ford’s recent software iterations, BlueCruise 1.2 and the upcoming BlueCruise 1.3, exemplify the continuous enhancements. The latter version demonstrates improved performance on curves and narrow lanes, with significantly prolonged engagement in hands-free mode compared to the initial release. Customers have easy access to BlueCruise information and service renewals through the FordPass App and Ford Account under Connected Services.

Want to learn more about Ford’s BlueCruise offerings? You can contact us at Haldeman Ford Allentown and we can answer any questions you might have.