Germany OKs Ford’s semi-autonomous BlueCruise feature, enabling hands-free driving

Ford Motor Company has announced that Germany is the next market where customers will gain access to its BlueCruise driver assistance technology. Following approval, Ford drivers in Germany can now take advantage of true hands-free driving on certain roadways.

Ford may be an American automaker, but its status as a global name in vehicles hasn’t wavered much recently, especially as the company continues to embrace a full transition into electrification. Germany is a very loyal people when it comes to local automakers, and on any trip around the country, you are sure to see a majority of people driving Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen Group EVs.

Still, Ford-Werke GmbH operates out of its headquarters in Cologne, Germany, and currently employs nearly 20,000 people at its three locations across the country. In terms of EVs, however, the American Automaker is just getting started.

Today, we’ve learned Ford will begin selling the Mustang Mach-E in Germany soon as its first model to arrive with the automaker’s BlueCruise system, with Level 2+ autonomous driving.

According to news out of Europe today, Ford has received approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) in Germany to allow the use of its BlueCruise technology. Soon, German drivers will be able to take their hands off the wheel (while keeping their eyes on the road) during certain stretches of roadways called “Blue Zones.”

BlueCruise now joins two other automakers offering hands-free, semi-autonomous driving in Germany – BMW’s Level 2+ ADAS snagged approval from the KBA this past June, and Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot has been offering EQS drivers Level 3 driving (hands off, eyes off) in Germany since May 2022.

In the US and Canada, BlueCruise has already delivered over 108 million miles (175 million km) of assisted driving to Ford owners and was voted the best ADAS by Consumer Reports this past January, besting competitors like GM and Tesla. Outside of North America, Germany now joins the UK as the second market across the Atlantic to allow BlueCruise driving assistance. Per Managing Director of Ford Model e Europe, Martin Sander:

We are very pleased that we can now also offer our customers this innovative technology in Germany, after we were the first manufacturer in Europe with a system of this type in Great Britain in April. Ford BlueCruise reaches a whole new dimension in terms of comfort for the driver: It can make strenuous journeys on the freeway much easier because it supports the driver in an intelligent, tried and tested and, above all, safe way – for a much more relaxed arrival at the destination.

BlueCruise will first rollout in Germany as a feature on the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which will be launched in the market in the next few weeks. Here’s some video footage from Ford of the Mustang Mach-E performing hands-free driving: