The car manufacturer Ford has been the first in Europe to receive approval from the European Commission for its advanced hands-free driving technology, writes Ford in a press release.
The technology is called BlueCruise, and it will be available in so-called Blue Zones, which include 133,000 kilometers of motorway networks in 15 European countries. This applies including the Frederikshavn motorway E45 and the Hirtshals motorway E39 in North Jutland.
Ford writes that the system is approved for the newer models of the Mustang Mach-E, while some older models will be able to get the system through a new software update.
The new approval allows the driver to let go of the steering wheel and pedals while driving on the motorway.
When BlueCruise is activated, the system controls the steering, acceleration, braking, lane positioning and safety distance to the vehicle in front by monitoring road markings, speed signs and changing traffic conditions, from motorway speeds right down to stopping in traffic jams.
– We believe that BlueCruise can make driving on the motorway easier and more fun, regardless of whether you are in stop-and-go traffic or on a long road trip, and with this new decision we can offer even more customers access to BlueCruise throughout Europe, says Ashley Lambrix, who heads Ford’s BlueCruise system.
BlueCruise will be available on the following road sections in Northern Jutland.
Ford.dk
However, it is still the driver who is responsible for driving.
To ensure drivers keep their eyes on the road when their hands are off the wheel, a driver-facing camera monitors the driver’s gaze and head position.
FDM looks positively on new technology, but the approval of the BlueCruise system is still met with some scepticism.
– We are de facto talking about beta versions of automated driver systems, and we do not yet have real documentation that this type of comfort system helps to reduce serious accidents, says Lone Otto, area manager in FDM’s technical consultancy, to TV2.
The Ford Mustang E-Mach was the 10th best-selling electric car in Denmark in the first half of 2024 with 944 cars sold.
The technology is approved on motorways in Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Great Britain, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.
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