Ford will equip its Universal EV models with Apple Maps instead of Google, and the first vehicle to try it out will be its upcoming $30,000 electric truck. The built-in maps will also be used by an in-house software development company to hone future artificial intelligence and hands-free driving systems at Ford.
Ford will be one of the first automakers to use Apple's new MapKit technology. Most manufacturers, including Ford, currently use Google's built-in software for navigation and search features. Now, Apple's trying to get a piece of the pie. Eddy Cue, senior vice president of services and health at Apple, says the new software "delivers the best map experience in the world."
View Price on AmazonPerhaps most useful for future UEV owners will be the ability for the system to find charging stations and automatically precondition the car's battery before it reaches its destination. Both Cue and Jim Farley, Ford's CEO, say the collaboration will make driving and navigating easier. The new mapping system will also be used by Latitude AI, Ford's in-house software development company, to create "next-generation self-driving technology."
Ford currently offers BlueCruise, which allows for hands-free driving on select highway stretches when adaptive cruise control is in use. While it's not a full self-driving system, it's able to automatically adjust speed, change lanes, and stay centered on the road without driver interaction, although the driver needs to keep their eyes on the road ahead. It's likely this new collaboration with Apple will be used to expand its mapping data and may even help bring Ford's hands-free driving into more urban areas.
Source: caranddriver.com
