Ford’s upcoming electric vehicles will have Apple Maps built in, offering drivers turn-by-turn directions, EV routing, and more.
Ford brings Apple Maps to upcoming UEV vehicles
After announcing a new alliance on Thursday, Ford and Apple confirmed Apple Maps will be directly integrated into Ford’s upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform.
Using Apple’s new MapKit for Automotive SDK, vehicles based on the platform will offer “a beautiful and easy-to-use navigation experience, ” Ford said, powered by the one and only Apple Maps.
Starting with the midsize electric pickup in 2027, Ford’s UEV-based vehicles will provide turn-by-turn directions using real-time data, EV routing, battery preconditioning, and more directly through the navigation display.
Ford plans to take it a step further, using the road-level data from Apple Maps to advance its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving tech.
The new Apple Maps data will help it “deliver a more seamless on-ramp-to-off-ramp experience,” Ford said.
Development of the next-gen self-driving tech is led by Ford’s Latitude AI, a team of 600 experts in machine learning, robotics, and software. The team is advancing Ford’s in-house hands-free, eyes-off automated driving system.
“Apple Maps delivers the best map experience in the world, and we’re excited to bring the power of Maps’ navigation technology to Ford’s innovative Universal Electric Vehicle Platform,” Apple’s senior vice president of services and health, Eddy Cue, said after announcing the new partnership.
Apple’s new MapKit for Automotive SDK will provide Ford drivers “an incredibly accurate and easy-to-use navigation system,” Cue added.
Ford’s CEO Jim Farley confirmed the “new midsize electric vehicle will be priced around $30,000,” and that the pickup will be “simple, useful, and truly attainable for more customers.”
The electric pickup will go on sale in 2027 as Ford’s first vehicle based on the UEV platform. Ahead of its official debut, prototypes have been spotted testing several times, offering a closer look at its size and unique design (check it out here).
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