Ford's BlueCruise 1.5 Hands-Free System Will Change Lanes for You
The updated system can now make automatic lane changes to pass slower vehicles and move out of the way of faster traffic from behind.
BlueCruise 1.5 has upgraded ADAS hardware and more computing power, so vehicles with older BlueCruise software cannot be updated to the newest version.
Since BlueCruise was launched on the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 in 2021, Ford has continually tweaked its hands-free driving feature to make the experience feel more natural and further remove the driver from the equation when the system is active. The newest BlueCruise 1.5 iteration, which is now available on the 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E, introduces automatic lane changes to make dull interstate journeys even less tedious.
A Better BlueCruise Experience
BlueCruise already had an assisted lane-change feature prior to version 1.5, but it required the driver to initiate a move into an adjacent lane with the turn signal. Now, the system can move out of the way of fast-moving traffic or skirt around slower vehicles without any driver involvement. Ford predicts that the new feature will automate up to 45 percent of lane changes and significantly reduce the need for drivers to put their hands back on the steering wheel when BlueCruise is active.
Ford
In addition to the automatic lane-change feature, revisions to the user interface make it easier to identify when hands-free driving is available and provide the driver with more information about the system's behavior; a message will appear on the digital cluster to explain why hands-free driving was interrupted or to alert of an upcoming lane change, for example.
Unlike previous updates that improved existing features and introduced new ones through software alone, the jump to BlueCruise 1.5 also necessitated some hardware upgrades. To support the update, the 2025 Mustang Mach-E uses an evolved suite of Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS) sensors and cameras, plus a faster processing unit. The new hardware requirements are a bummer for owners of older BlueCruise-equipped models, as they won't be eligible for an over-the-air software update.
Austin Parsons
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Car and Driver
Behind the Wheel with BlueCruise 1.5
We recently sampled BlueCruise 1.5 in a Mach-E on a stretch of I-96 outside of Detroit, Michigan, and can confirm that it works as advertised. When set to a cruising speed of 65 mph, it jumped out of the way of upcoming left-lane traffic before any brights were flashed or middle fingers were raised. It functioned well when passing slow vehicles too, although we did have to grab the wheel to abort one iffy change into a disappearing space between two fast-moving cars. The lane changes themselves felt relatively smooth and humanlike, if a bit hasty on a few occasions.
With the new introduction of automatic lane changes, BlueCruise 1.5 closes the gap between it and GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving system, which has had that function since 2021. Even with their advanced features, BlueCruise and Super Cruise are still SAE Level 2 systems, meaning that they require the driver to pay attention to the road and remain on standby to take control of the vehicle if necessary. The two systems are as evenly matched as ever, but Super Cruise has a leg up with support on roughly 750,000 miles of roads (compared with around 130,000 miles for BlueCruise) and additional features such as hands-free towing.
Austin Parsons
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Car and Driver
BlueCruise 1.5 is now available on the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, with support for other models to follow in the future. Upper-tier trims, including the GT and Rally, come bundled with a one-year BlueCruise subscription from the factory. To enable BlueCruise on Select, Premium, and GT Performance trims, customers have the option to pay a $2495 one-time activation fee at the time of purchase or subscribe to either a monthly ($49) or annual ($495) subscription plan.
Austin Parsons
Associate Editor
Austin's car fixation began at a young age and at 1:64 scale. Eventually, Hot Wheels weren't cutting it anymore, so he developed an obsession with his father's full-sized 1965 Ford Mustang instead. Desperate to break into the automotive industry, he bartered his way into a job at a local BMW dealership by promising to stop hurling nerdy technical facts at the salesmen who came into the neighboring coffee shop where he worked. That was also around the time when he started writing automotive reviews, news articles, and technical guides for a number of local and international publications. Now at Car and Driver, Austin brings more than 10 years of experience in the automotive industry and an all-so-common love-hate relationship with German engineering to the table. Read full bio
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