Ford’s new BlueCruise 1.4 lasts 8 times longer, no blue pill required

Ford’s BlueCruise got a late start, but semi-autonomous driving systems are still evolving and getting better. That’s certainly the case today as the company launches BlueCruise 1.4, which promises to deliver the best hands-free highway driving experience yet.

The big news is that the latest version of BlueCruise will be in hands-free driving mode five times longer than BlueCruise 1.2 and eight times longer than the original system. To achieve this, engineers made various undisclosed changes to better cope with conditions such as sharp turns, narrow lanes, inclement weather, and sunlight reflections on the vehicle’s sensors.

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While you’ll still need to take back control, the latest version of BlueCruise promises to reduce the distractions of long-distance travel. This will make the journey more comfortable and relaxing.

In addition to maximizing autonomous driving time, BlueCruise 1.4 also promises a smoother, more natural driving experience. When entering a curve, the system automatically adjusts the vehicle’s speed just like a human would.

BlueCruise 1.4 also features new motion controllers that promise improved in-lane stability. It controls the steering of the vehicle and is designed to reduce side-to-side movement within the lane.

The latest version of the system will be available on select 2025 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the F-150 and Navigator. More models will be rolled out in the future, with BlueCruise 1.4 eventually rolling out as a software update for select existing vehicles.

This is welcome news as there are 492,000 BlueCruise-equipped vehicles worldwide and customers have logged 244 million miles (393 million kilometers) of hands-free driving in North America alone.