- At CES 2026 on Wednesday, Ford announced that its popular hands-free highway driving system, BlueCruise, aims to go fully eyes-off in 2028.
- Upgraded BlueCruise will debut on the automaker’s Universal Electric Vehicle platform, which arrives first in a $30,000 electric pickup truck.
- “Autonomy shouldn’t be a premium feature,” said Doug Field, Ford’s chief EV, digital, and design officer.
Even as Ford ended 2025 in a kind of retreat mode on electric vehicles, it still counted one future-technology story as a win: over 1 million cars equipped with its hands-free BlueCruise highway driving system on the road. Now, like other competitors, it’s planning a big push into the next level of automated assistance, and that’s “eyes-free” driving.
At CES 2026 on Wednesday, Ford announced that eyes-off BlueCruise will arrive in 2028 on its new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform. That clean-sheet platform, which debuts in a $30,000 electric truck, was already key to Ford’s goals of making better, cheaper EVs and fending off China’s fast-moving automakers. Now it’s central to the carmaker’s automated driving efforts as well.
In a blog post, Doug Field, an Apple and Tesla veteran who now serves as Ford’s chief EV, digital, and design officer, said Ford’s goal is to “democratize” advanced autonomous driving.
“Autonomy shouldn’t be a premium feature,” Field said. “[Level 3] eyes-off driving will be road-ready in 2028, making the ultimate in vehicle experience available for the many, not just a privileged few.”
Ford ADAS Visualization Photo by: Ford
Right now, BlueCruise allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel, so long as they watch the road ahead and be ready to intervene, on over 130,000 miles of approved highways. Unlike Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised), robotaxis from Waymo or Mercedes’ new MB.Drive Assist Pro, it does not function in urban environments.
Ford joins several other competitors branching into more advanced levels of driving automation, something that has largely been held back by technical challenges and regulations, or a lack thereof. Today, the only company that offers a Level 3 driver-assistance system in the U.S.—meaning one that can operate eyes-free in certain scenarios, as long as a driver is ready to take over—is Mercedes-Benz, with its fairly limited Drive Pilot feature.
Chinese automaker Geely announced a Level 3 system at CES this week, and late last year, General Motors said it would bring lidar-powered eyes-off driving to its cars as well, also in 2028.
But in GM’s case, that system is set to debut on the Cadillac Escalade IQ; the last one InsideEVs tested cost about $140,000, and that was before any additional lidar costs. Ford hasn’t shared details about any UEV models beyond the $30,000 truck, but it’s safe to assume that any eyes-off-capable Ford would likely cost far less than an Escalade IQ.
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E BlueCruise Photo by: Patrick George
Ford has not said whether its own eyes-off BlueCruise would include lidar or not. Seen by many as a key component for more advanced autonomy, lidar systems have gotten smaller and cheaper in recent years as the technology has scaled. “Because of the now-owned end-to-end stack between the camera and other sensors, we have a lot of flexibility in the future,” a Ford spokesperson told InsideEVs.
Ford also didn’t disclose how much this next-generation BlueCruise might cost. Currently, the system can be had on the Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning and other cars for about $50 a month, $495 per year or $2,495 at the time of purchase. Both Ford and GM have seen significant growth in hands-free highway driving tech subscriptions.
An AI Assistant That You Can Use At Home Depot
Ford AI
Photo by: Ford
Like virtually every other company with a presence at CES 2026, Ford is joining the artificial intelligence race. But this approach seems tailor-made for the needs of Ford customers.
More and more new cars come with in-vehicle AI assistants that can answer questions conversationally, route your navigation system in novel ways and even operate different vehicle functions. Starting this year, Ford is integrating AI into the Ford and Lincoln App so that it “travels with you between your phone and your vehicle.”
For example, Ford officials said, you can take a photo of some supplies at your local home improvement store, and then ask the AI if it will fit in your truck bed. While apps like ChatGPT may return similar results, this system integrates “Ford-specific data” rather than guesswork from the internet.
In-House Computer ‘Brain’
Ford High-Performance Compute Center
Photo by: Ford
Lastly, Ford offered up more details about the UEV platform’s zonal architecture, a more advanced and streamlined approach to handling vehicle electronics.
Ford announced the High Performance Computer Center, an in-house-developed unit that includes infotainment, automated driving, audio and connected networking in one compact package. With higher performance, a lower production cost and a smaller size, the computer should allow the $30,000 truck to have far more powerful computing and features than current Ford models.
“For customers, that means a vehicle that feels more consistent, more reliable, and more capable year after year,” Field said. Ford has been seeking greater vertical integration, rather than dependence on a network of suppliers, as it attempts to meet Chinese automakers on speed and costs.
No other details were released about the Ford UEV truck, which is set to debut next year. Ford officials said more information will be released about its advanced autonomy features in the future. Executives like Field and CEO Jim Farley have said investing in such technologies will be crucial for Ford’s next century of existence—and they had better work out. If CES 2026 proved anything, it’s that plenty of Chinese competitors are ready to take Ford’s customers in America the moment they get the chance.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
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