Ford chooses Apple Maps for its next EV platform and replaces BlueCruise

Ford plans to integrate Apple Maps directly into the Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, which will start with $30,000 A mid-size car set to be released in 2027. In Thursday’s announcementFord says it will use Apple Maps to provide “turn-by-turn directions using natural language, real-time traffic and event information, intuitive search with detailed maps, and turn-by-turn directions.”

The vehicle will also feature intelligent EV routing and battery preconditioning. Since the Apple Maps system will be integrated with Ford’s upcoming platform, drivers won’t need an iPhone to use it – although Ford says CarPlay will still be available in its cars.

Additionally, Ford has announced that it is working with Apple to develop the next generation BlueCruise driver-assist system. It will use “traffic information” from Apple Maps to enable hands-free driving from lane to lane. Meanwhile, Ford’s The Latitude AI team continues to grow an unsupervised driving system, which hopes to be ready in 2028.