Letting Technology Take the Wheel
As in-car technology continues to evolve, advanced driver-assistance systems like Tesla‘s Full-Self Driving (Supervised) increasingly appear to be the future of automotive travel. That trend is reflected at Ford, which reported a significant increase in BlueCruise usage, reaching 264 million miles driven in 2025.
The Blue Oval said the number translates to an 88-percent increase in the U.S. among owners of Ford and Lincoln vehicles compared to the previous year. It comes as little surprise that F-150 owners led the charge, given the truck is the brand’s best-selling model, followed by owners of the Mustang Mach-E and the outgoing F-150 Lightning EV.
It is worth noting that the company relied solely on numbers from owners who opted in to data sharing.
The Data Behind the Surge
BlueCruise logged approximately 3.8 million hours of use last year, marking an 87 percent increase compared to 2024. Trips taken using the system also rose by 50 percent to 18 million, with the highest single-day usage recorded ahead of Thanksgiving on November 21, when roughly 72,000 trips were made.
These gains reflect the confidence Ford and Lincoln owners have in BlueCruise, particularly given that it is not a free feature. The system is offered with a 90-day complimentary trial, after which owners can subscribe for $49.99 per month—about half the cost of Tesla’s FSD. Ford also offers a one-time purchase option priced at $2,495, as well as an annual subscription for $495.
Paying for Progress
The American automaker plans to further enhance its ADAS offerings with the BlueCruise 1.5 update, which introduces Automatic Lane Change capability. The feature allows vehicles to change lanes without the driver touching the steering wheel. It will debut on the 2026 model-year Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Nautilus.
As a reminder, BlueCruise is an SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance system, meaning regulations still require drivers to remain fully attentive at all times. This contrasts with SAE Level 4 systems such as those used in Waymo robotaxis, where a human driver is not required. Some rival Level 2 systems available in the U.S. include Subaru’s EyeSight and General Motors’ Super Cruise.
By 2028, however, Ford has confirmed that its first eyes-off driver-assistance system (SAE Level 3) will debut on next-generation electric vehicle models, which are being developed with affordability in mind at a target price of around $30,000.
Ford
