Ford has announced that its BlueCruise hands‑free driving system will be available on the Puma, Puma Gen‑E, Kuga, and Ranger PHEV models, with the rollout scheduled to begin in spring 2026. The expansion brings the feature to a broader range of vehicles beyond the Mustang Mach‑E, allowing thousands more customers to experience hands‑free highway driving on approved “Blue Zones.”
BlueCruise is a Level 2 advanced driver‑assist system that lets drivers keep their hands on the wheel while the vehicle controls steering, acceleration, and braking on designated highways. The service is offered on a subscription basis at $49.99 per month or $495 per year, a price that reflects Ford’s recent adjustment to make the technology more accessible. Since its launch, Ford and Lincoln owners have driven more than 888 million kilometers (552 million miles) using BlueCruise, and the system is approved in 16 European markets covering over 135,000 km of Blue Zones.
The expansion aligns with Ford’s pivot away from its centralized software‑defined vehicle (SDV) program, FNV4, toward a modular approach that integrates software features into existing vehicle architectures. By expanding BlueCruise, Ford is bolstering its subscription‑based revenue stream, a key component of its new software strategy that seeks to generate recurring income from connected services. The move also positions the company to capture a larger share of the growing market for advanced driver‑assist systems, which is expected to grow as automakers compete on safety, convenience, and future autonomy.
BlueCruise’s safety record has been cited as superior to Tesla’s Autopilot in some independent studies, and it competes directly with GM’s Super Cruise. While Tesla’s system is widely known, BlueCruise offers a more conservative Level 2 experience that has earned praise for its reliability on mapped highways. The expansion to mainstream models is expected to strengthen Ford’s competitive stance against these rivals by making hands‑free driving more widely available to consumers.
Management emphasized the significance of the rollout. Torsten Wey, Manager of ADAS Features and Software at Ford Europe, said, “With BlueCruise now available on five vehicle lines, we are helping make hands‑free highway driving accessible to a wider array of customers.” Ashley Lambrix, Head of Commercial Acceleration for Ford Model e, added, “BlueCruise is an experience‑it‑to‑believe‑it technology that makes driving less stressful, and we want to give more customers the opportunity to try it.” CEO Jim Farley noted that the company is “getting close” to Level 3 autonomy, which could arrive around 2026, and that the current Level 2 system is a critical step toward that goal.
The expansion is expected to increase customer satisfaction, reduce warranty costs through remote software updates, and generate additional subscription revenue. By integrating BlueCruise into a wider range of vehicles, Ford can capture a larger customer base, improve data collection for future autonomous features, and reinforce its position in the evolving software‑centric automotive landscape. The move also signals Ford’s commitment to delivering advanced driver‑assist technology while navigating the shift away from a single, centralized SDV platform.
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