Ford Mustang Mach-E gets UK’s first ‘Hands-Free’ self-driving with Ford’s BlueCruise

Ford launches BlueCruise – the UK’s first ‘Hands-Free’ legal self-driving system – on the Mustang Mach-E for use on UK motorways.

Actual hands-free driving – Autonomous level 2 – has been legal in the UK for a couple of years but, so far, no car maker has launched a system. Until now.

Ford has revealed its BlueCruise technology for the UK – already available in the US and Canada – allowing drivers to run on the UK motorway network without touching controls – including the steering wheel.

The system works at speeds up to 80mph on ‘pre-mapped’ motorways with cameras and radar monitoring road markings traffic conditions and signs, and also monitors the ‘driver’ to ensure they’re still engaged with the drive and not drifting off from boredom.

Lisa Brankin, managing director, Ford UK & Ireland, said:

Today marks a significant moment for our industry as Ford BlueCruise becomes the first hands-free driving system of its kind to receive approval for use in Great Britain.

We have always strived to make technology accessible for our customers, and BlueCruise is this next step on this journey, making motorway driving a more comfortable experience.

The BlueCruise system has already clocked-up 64 million miles of hands-free driving in the UK and will be initially available in the electric Mustang Mach-E for a £17.99 per month subscription fee.