\n<\/p>\n
BlueCruise, Ford\u2019s hands-free driver-assist system, will be available in 500,000 vehicles by 2024. And a Level 3 system, which is also called conditional or unsupervised autonomy, will be first available in Ford\u2019s next-generation EVs. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
BlueCruise is a Level 2 system, meaning the vehicle controls major functions like acceleration and braking as well as lane centering and automatic lane changing. But while drivers can take their hands off the steering wheel and their feet off the pedals, they need to keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take control at a moment\u2019s notice. Ford said that BlueCruise-equipped vehicles have already traveled over 50 million miles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ford\u2019s Level 3 system will be first available in its next-generation EVs<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Level 3 refers to highly automated driving, where the driver still needs to be able to take over the vehicle upon request but can also take their eyes off the road in certain situations. Some experts have argued that L3 systems can be dangerous given the need for drivers to stay attentive despite the vehicle performing most of the driving tasks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ford is in a race to get more partially autonomous features into consumer vehicles as quickly and safely as possible. Tesla is driving the discussion with its controversial beta system, Full Self-Driving, which can theoretically handle local roads with traffic signals and pedestrians but has also been criticized<\/a> as a dangerous and unfinished product without sufficient guardrails. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n GM also has a hands-free highway feature called Super Cruise and has said it would release a more advanced product called Ultra Cruise<\/a> that can handle \u201c95 percent\u201d of driving tasks. Volvo<\/a>, Mercedes-Benz<\/a>, Audi<\/a>, and others are also working on their own L3 products. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n