Ford Mustang Mach-E to debut hands-off driverless tech
Blue Oval says first pure-electric SUV will out Tesla Tesla when it comes to autonomous techFord has announced its pure-electric flagship Mustang Mach-E will come equipped with a hands-free active cruise control when it goes on sales in 2021.
According to the US car-maker, the hands-off driving feature will come as part of its next-generation Active Drive Assist, that's part of its advanced Co-Pilot360 technology.
Said to allow full hands-off driving in certain situations Ford says, when it launches in the US market, it will work on over 100,000 miles of highways in the US and Canada – there's no claim yet for other markets.
Like the most advanced Nissan ProPilot semi-autonomous driving aids, the hands-off feature will only be available on pre-mapped roads and, when it's working, requires the driver to keep their eyes on the road at all times.
If they are distracted by their phone, or if the interior infrared cameras detect a driver's eyes wandering, the active cruise control will demand the driver retake control and place their hands back on the wheel.
Ford says when the Mustang Mach-E goes on sale, the hands-free driving feature will be part of an optional Co-Pilot360 Active 2.0 Prep Package – which adds the necessary extra hardware during the build.
From launch, the hands-off feature will not be available, but will go live as part of an over-the-air update that will be introduced in the third quarter of 2021.
As well as the hands-off driver, Ford will also offer the Mustang Mach-E with Active Park Assist that has the capability of being able to park the car without any involvement of the driver, once a space has been selected.
Other new tech that will be introduced on the Mach-E is a lane change assist that will override the driver if it detects you steering into a faster overtaking vehicle and an Intersection Assist aid that will apply the brakes if it detects a fast oncoming vehicle you have not spotted.
Pricing has yet to be announced for the new advanced active cruise control for the Mustang Mach-E but it's thought the same technology will be rolled out on other Ford vehicles next year, helping lower the cost of its development.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E was confirmed for Australia back in late 2019 but since then there's been no update on when we'll see it, or how much it will cost.
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