Ford's BlueCruise 1.4 Update Lets Drivers Go Hands-Free for Even Longer

The tech is even better at keeping a vehicle in a lane on the highway

written by Chris Bruce^{Correspondent
Chris Bruce has worked in the automotive industry since 2011 and has written thousands of stories about cars, motorsports and motorcycles in that time. Chris is a correspondent for Edmunds and has written for Autoblog, Autoviva, Hagerty, InsideEVs, Motor1 and New Roads. He has also hosted hundreds of podcast episodes. For hobbies, Bruce enjoys building plastic models of robots and cars. He also enjoys video games, particularly the 16-bit variety. His dog keeps him busy.}
edited by Cameron Rogers^{Manager, News
Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at Edmunds include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).}
9/26/2024
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The upcoming Version 1.4 update makes Ford's hands-free BlueCruise system even more capable.
The update means that drivers don't have to touch the steering wheel as often.
The system is also more capable at keeping a vehicle centered in its lane.

Ford introduced its BlueCruise hands-free driving assist system in certain models of the 2021 Mustang Mach-E and F-150. Since then, the company has introduced the tech to more vehicles and made it even more capable. The latest version 1.4 update means that drivers need to touch the steering wheel less than ever before.

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Ford BlueCruise Hands-Free

Ford says that BlueCruise version 1.4 improves the system's ability to handle tight curves, narrow sections of road, bad weather and sun glare. It's also purportedly better at adjusting the vehicle’s speed in curves. Ford claims the extensive changes allow the new software to go eight times longer without a driver needing to intervene with the steering wheel compared to the 1.0 version.

The update is also said to reduce the amount of moving between different sides of the lane. According to a Ford spokesperson, the deviations are 80% less than with the original release of BlueCruise.

BlueCruise 1.4 will come from the factory on some 2025 Ford and Lincoln models. It’ll also be available for certain models going back to the 2021 model year for the F-150, F-150 Lightning, Expedition, Explorer, Mustang Mach-E and the entire Lincoln lineup. The company will roll out the upgrade across vehicle lines and model years.

We contacted Ford to find out when this upgrade would be available for Edmunds’ long-term 2022 F-150 Lightning. “We will have more to share soon on software updates being delivered to [the] 2022 F-150 Lightning,” said company spokesperson Whitney Pineda. “Your vehicle is eligible for an over-the-air software update; we just have not shared any timing or specifics.”

Ford says there are roughly 492,000 BlueCruise-equipped vehicles on the road that have covered more than 244 million hands-free miles. The company uses this data to guide changes for future updates.

Edmunds says

Ford continues to improve its BlueCruise tech, and the latest version seems like the best yet.

by Chris Bruce

Chris Bruce has worked in the automotive industry since 2011 and has written thousands of stories about cars, motorsports and motorcycles in that time. Chris is a correspondent for Edmunds and has written for Autoblog, Autoviva, Hagerty, InsideEVs, Motor1 and New Roads. He has also hosted hundreds of podcast episodes. For hobbies, Bruce enjoys building plastic models of robots and cars. He also enjoys video games, particularly the 16-bit variety. His dog keeps him busy.

edited by Cameron Rogers

Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at Edmunds include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).