The 2021 Ford F-150 and Mustang Mach-E will get hands-free driver-assistance system after mid-2021, via Over-The-Air updates
Autonomous driver assists and self-driving tech are quite a rage in the global auto industry these days, and all major carmakers are racing to offer and improve these systems. Ford Motor Company has also announced that it will offer self driving tech on the 2021 F-150 pickup truck and the Mustang Mach-E.
While both these vehicles will have the necessary hardware for the system to work, the software will only be available in the third quarter of 2021. The system will be enabled via OTA (Over-The-Air) updates, and customers will have to subscribe in order to avail the service; it will cost $600 (almost Rs. 45,000) for a three-year subscription plan.
The Active Drive Assist hardware will be available as standard on Ford F-150 Limited, and will be a $1,595 (~ Rs. 12,000) option on other trims. As for the Mustang Mach E, the hands free system will be offered as standard one three trims – California Route 1, Premium, and First Edition – while other trims can have it with the $3,200 (~ Rs. 24,000) Comfort and Technology Package, which also gets a 360-degree camera, heated steering wheel, and heated front seats.
This new Active Drive Assist system utilises adaptive cruise control (with stop-and-go function), lane centering system, and sign recognition systems. After mid-2021, new customers will be able to purchase the vehicle with the system pre-installed as a part of the Ford Co-Pilot Active 2.0 package.
“As breakthroughs in new technology allow us to help reduce the stress of long highway drives, it’s important to make sure these capabilities can be enjoyed by the largest spread of people possible,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Chief Product Platform & Operations Officer, Ford Motor Company. “Active Drive Assist can help improve the driving experience while ensuring people remain aware and fully in control, all for a price unmatched by our competitors – a commitment to affordable innovations that has driven us since Henry Ford put the world on wheels.”
Ford expects to sell upwards of 1,00,000 units of Active Drive Assist enabled F-150 and Mustang Mach-E models during the system’s first year in the market, which is quite an optimistic yet achievable figure.