Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) CEO Jim Farley said on Wednesday that its customers, together with those of its luxury automotive brand Lincoln, have now driven hands-free for 2 million hours across the U.S. and Canada.
What Happened: "We just hit a #BlueCruise milestone: 2 million hours," Farley wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Awesome we're helping make commutes & road trips more enjoyable and less stressful!," he added.
BlueCruise permits users to remove their hands from the steering wheel in certain divided, pre-mapped motorways called Blue Zones. It is available on select trims of the Mustang Mach-E SUV, the F-150 truck, the F-150 Lightning truck, and the Expedition SUV.
On BlueZones, BlueCruise will maintain the car in the lane while sustaining cruising speed. As a safety measure, an infrared camera would track the driver's gaze to ensure that they are watching the road.
Why It Matters: In mid-August, Ford said that it is looking to add BlueCruise hardware as a standard on 500,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles in 2024. Ford then had 225,000 vehicles on the road globally equipped with hands-free driving technology. 2024 model year F-150 Lightning, Ford F-150, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Nautilus, and select trims of Lincoln Corsair will now be equipped with BlueCruise from the factory.
With the addition of the hardware as a standard, customers can choose to activate it at a different point than purchase. They can also experience it with the 90-day complimentary trial starting from purchase if they choose not to activate it.