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BlueCruise technology arrives in Germany

Aug 28, 2023
BlueCruiseDE Click to Enlarge

COLOGNE - Ford has received regulatory approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to use its BlueCruise advanced driver assistance system in Germany. BlueCruise allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel on certain sections of many federal motorways called Blue Zones, if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead – taking the strain off the driver and enabling a more relaxed arrival. One of the key requirements for approval is the infrared camera mounted behind the steering wheel. It continually checks whether the driver has their eyes on the road. This way, it ensures active monitoring of traffic events and control of the car by the driver.

"We are excited to be able to offer this innovative technology to our customers in Germany, having already been the first manufacturer in Europe with a system of this kind in the UK in April," explains Martin Sander, Managing Director of Ford Model e Europe. "Ford BlueCruise reaches a completely new dimension in terms of driver comfort: it can greatly simplify strenuous journeys on motorways, because it supports the driver in an intelligent, tried and tested and, above all, safe way - for a significantly more relaxed arrival at the destination."

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Using sensors such as the forward-facing camera, Ford BlueCruise detects lane markings, speed limits and changing traffic conditions. Based on this information, the advanced assistance system controls the steering, acceleration, braking and positioning of the car in its own lane. Depending on the speed, it maintains the appropriate distance to the road users ahead - up to stopping and starting in stop-and-go traffic. At the same time, a driver-facing infrared camera positioned behind the steering wheel detects whether the driver is still paying full attention to the current traffic situation.

"With BlueCruise, Ford is positioning itself as a leading supplier in the field of future-proof driver assistance technologies. Data collected worldwide from more than one million test kilometres formed the basis for successful approval in Germany. We are proud to have developed such a competitive system that has repeatedly won awards - as it did recently in Germany," emphasises Torsten Wey, Head of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems at Ford Europe.

Infographic DE Click to Enlarge

Infographic (German)

In the USA and Canada, more than 189,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles have already covered over 102 million kilometres in BlueCruise mode. The system also went into series production there as early as 2021. In Europe, Ford engineers have tested the latest generation of advanced driver assistance systems such as Ford BlueCruise and its associated features over a further 160,000 kilometres on public roads. Validation drives in the UK confirmed that the assistance systems can cope with challenging conditions, such as worn lane markings, bad weather and roadworks.

Recently, Consumer Reports named Ford's BlueCruise system the top-rated active driver assistance system in the US. The Centre of Automotive Management (CAM) and the German auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also honoured Ford as the "Most Innovative Volume Brand 2023" with the prestigious AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award. The functionality of the BlueCruise system was among the key factors for this recognition in the category "Autonomous Driving & ADAS".

The first model to be launched with the Ford BlueCruise system in Germany is the all-electric Mustang Mach-E. It will be available to order in the next few weeks.