![]() In hands-free mode, the Lightning couldn't handle fairly modest highway curves and kept handing control back to me.Candidly, it did not inspire confidence at the time.My first encounter with BlueCruise was in an F-150 Lightning electric pickup I drove along with another journalist during a media event last May in Texas. Lane changes require the driver's input, but the system quickly resumes hands-free operation as soon as the vehicle is centered in the new lane.(The underlying lane-centering tech will continue to support the driver through the curve, Ford notes.) If BlueCruise sees a situation it can't handle - like a curve - it will give the driver seven seconds to take back control.If not, the system will issue a warning and eventually hand control back to the driver. An infrared camera monitors the driver's eyes to make sure they're paying attention.When the instrument cluster turns blue and the steering wheel icon shows the words "hands free," the driver knows they are in a Blue Zone and can safely remove their hands from the wheel.The system is activated by pushing the adaptive cruise control button on the steering wheel.(GM Super Cruise works on more than 200,000 miles.) Ford has designated 130,000 miles of these so-called Blue Zones across North American highways.How it works: Like GM's system, Ford BlueCruise only works on pre-mapped sections of certain roads at speeds up to 85 miles per hour. ![]() That includes Tesla's improperly named "full self-driving" feature (which is not autonomous and advises drivers to keep their hands on the wheel).GM's Super Cruise was first in 2017.Īlthough it's not as good as GM's system, Ford BlueCruise is more capable than the limited assisted-driving technology available on other cars. The big picture: Ford is only the second automaker to offer a true hands-free highway driving system. I've driven a number of vehicles recently with Ford's BlueCruise hands-free highway driving assistant, and here's my takeaway: It's still a work in progress. ![]()
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