Ford BlueCruise Expansion Brings Hands-Off Driving to Europe

Ford has announced the expansion of its BlueCruise hands-off driving technology across Europe, detailing new models and availability presented in official releases today.

Ford is expanding the reach of its BlueCruise hands-off, eyes-on driving technology, making it available to a wider range of European drivers. Starting in spring 2026, the system will be offered in the Puma, Puma Gen-E, Kuga and Ranger Plug-in Hybrid models, following its initial rollout on the Mustang Mach-E and the gradual approval of BlueCruise across Europe.

The technology is permitted on designated highway sections known as Blue Zones, covering more than 133,000 kilometres of roads across the continent. Drivers in 15 countries — including Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom — can take their hands off the wheel at speeds of up to 130 km/h while remaining fully attentive to the road. Using a forward-facing camera, radar sensors and an infrared driver-monitoring system, the vehicle maintains lane position, adjusts speed, keeps distance and responds to speed limits and changing traffic conditions.

Since its official approval in 2023, Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with BlueCruise have accumulated more than 830 million kilometres of hands-free driving. With deployments spanning North America and Europe, BlueCruise has become the most widely available system of its kind on the continent.

The expansion to additional models reinforces Ford’s strategy of advancing Level 2+ driver assistance while preserving the requirement for driver attention. Although pricing for the new models has not yet been announced, the European market already offers a 90-day free trial followed by a monthly or yearly subscription for the Mustang Mach-E.

The technology’s growth also brings regulatory attention. In the United States, NHTSA is investigating two nighttime crashes involving the Mustang Mach-E while BlueCruise was active. No similar cases have been reported in Europe, where the system continues to operate under existing approvals.

The gradual introduction of BlueCruise into high-volume models may significantly influence long-distance travel on European motorways. The system has already shown its usefulness on extended routes — for example, the journey from Sweden to Italy, where BlueCruise can be used across most of the route. While a definitive assessment of its impact on driver fatigue will require more data, the technology promises smoother, less strenuous journeys, allowing drivers to remain focused on the road rather than the monotony of constant steering.