Ford has expanded the availability of BlueCruise, giving thousands more customers access to its ‘hands-off, eyes-on’ highway driving.
First available on the Mustang Mach-E in Europe, the advanced driver assistance system is being introduced to four more models – Puma, Puma Gen-E, Kuga and Ranger PHEV – from spring 2026.
Globally, Ford and Lincoln owners have driven more than 888,000,000 highway kilometers using the technology. According to the company, expanding the availability of BlueCruise across a broad range of Ford vehicles will allow even more customers to enjoy next-level comfort and convenience on their highway journeys, and reach their destinations more refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
In 2023, BlueCruise became the first system of its kind to receive regulatory approval in Europe, when it launched in the UK. Since then, the technology has been approved for use across 16 European markets, making it the most widely available system of its kind in Europe. This unlocks access to more than 135,000km of designated highways, called Blue Zones, allowing customers to take road trips across multiple countries.
With this wide geographic availability, as an example, a customer can use BlueCruise across six countries traveling from Stockholm in Sweden to Rome in Italy, covering over 2,000km and spending close to 25 hours driving hands-free.
“We’re committed to putting cutting-edge technology in the hands of more drivers. With BlueCruise now available on five vehicle lines in Europe, we’re helping to make hands-free highway driving accessible to a wider array of customers,” said Torsten Wey, manager of ADAS features and software at Ford in Europe. “Every vehicle line is unique, and our team of ADAS engineers has been working to expand BlueCruise beyond Mustang Mach-E to ensure a quality hands-free highway driving experience no matter which vehicle a customer chooses.”
Hands-off, eyes-on driving
BlueCruise builds on the capabilities of Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC) and helps control steering, acceleration, braking, lane positioning and safe distances from the vehicle ahead by monitoring road markings, speed signs and evolving traffic conditions, from highway speeds to stop-and-go traffic.
When BlueCruise is engaged on an approved highway known as a Blue Zone, it allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead – granting an additional level of comfort during long drives.
Before transitioning to hands-free driving, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm that lane markings are visible, that the driver has their eyes on the road and that other conditions are appropriate.
BlueCruise uses a combination of radars and cameras to detect and track the position and speed of other vehicles on the road. A forward-facing camera detects lane markings and speed signs. To help ensure drivers keep their eyes on the road while their hands are off the wheel, a driver-facing camera checks the driver’s eye gaze and head position – even when they are wearing sunglasses.
From spring 2026, BlueCruise will be available on selected Puma, Puma Gen-E, Kuga and Ranger PHEV new model year vehicles equipped with the Driver Assistance Pack. The OEM says subscription options and pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
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