BlueCruise: Ford rolls out 'hands-free' driving on motorways

Ford envisions a future where it sees the first hands-free car model cruising effortlessly down a motorway, only slowing down as it approaches the back of a truck.

Operating at a steady 60 miles per hour (100 kilometres per hour), the compact SUV gracefully stays within its lane as an AFP journalist enjoys the ride from the driver's seat along the M11 motorway, situated north of London.

In April, Ford introduced the "BlueCruise" self-drive feature to its electric flagship, the Mustang Mach-E, making it permissible for use in the UK. 

The option, which initially debuted in the United States in 2021, is now accessible on approximately 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) of UK motorways known as "blue zones." These motorways are equipped with four lanes and central dividers and span from Dover to Scotland.

With the "BlueCruise" engaged, the driver can relax their hands while the car ensures no phone distractions and keeps the driver's focus on the road, thanks to a sophisticated array of cameras and infrared sensors. 

As the car enters the motorway, the onboard computer offers to take over driving duties. However, if it detects that the driver has looked away for more than 10 seconds, a voice prompt reminds them to "Look at the road. Resume control."

Should the driver fail to respond to the warning, the car will automatically apply the brakes and sound alerts to ensure safety.

Some 500 early adopters have joined the trial in Britain, paying £17.99 (21 euros) per month.

In North America, the option is also available on the F-150 pickup truck and the Expedition SUV.

Ford claims that 200,000 drivers use it, with no accidents.

Competitor General Motors also offers hands-free driving, as does Mercedes on the German autobahn, but only in traffic jams with a maximum speed of 60km imposed.

'Lighten the load'

Tesla boss Elon Musk has long predicted that fully autonomous driving (Level 4) is just around the corner.

Ford, for its part, is betting on immediate applications of the technology but last year ended a research partnership on autonomous driving with startup Argo AI.

"We're optimistic about a future for L4 ADAS, but profitable, fully autonomous vehicles at scale are a long way off and we won't necessarily have to create that technology ourselves," Ford CEO Jim Farley said late last year.

"But things have changed, and there's a huge opportunity right now for Ford to give time –- the most valuable commodity in modern life –- back to millions of customers while they're in their vehicles," he added.

The US brand was the first in the UK to benefit from an exemption allowing hands-free driving, said Douwe Cunningham, in charge of safety certification at Ford's European operation.

He is currently in discussions with the British authorities about the next step -- enabling the car to change lanes to overtake when the indicator is activated.

But the hands-free option doesn't mean the driver will be able to type on their phone or read a book.

"It's evolution, not revolution," admitted Cunningham.

He believes that improved cruise control is the next step towards Level 3 autonomous driving, which will allow the computer to take over the driving in the majority of situations.

Tariq Willis, marketing expert for the American brand, told AFP that BlueCruise gives drivers "an opportunity to take a little bit of the load off them, especially in traffic", letting the car "do the hard work".

BlueCruise should be available "soon" in Germany, then in France, said Cunningham.