Ford has obtained approval to introduce its Level 2+ semi-autonomous driving features, known as BlueCruise, in Germany (i.e., Level 2 refers to vehicles that can control both the speed and the steering, but a driver must be present and must maintain full vigilance).

Customers purchasing a Ford vehicle with BlueCruise can momentarily let go of the steering wheel on specific sections of German highways (designated as “Blue Zones”) while remaining ready to take control at any point. An infrared camera monitors drivers and alerts them if they are not paying attention to the road.

The initial Ford model to feature BlueCruise in Germany will be the electric Mustang Mach-E.

BlueCruise has been extensively tested, with over 174,000 vehicles equipped and over 108 million miles (175 million km) traveled with the system activated.

Analyst QuickTake: With today’s approvals, Germany becomes the second European market to have been permitted to launch Ford’s Bluecruise system. The UK was the first to approve BlueCruise in April 2023, allowing it to operate on 2,300 miles (3,700 km) of mapped motorways at speeds up to 80 mph (130 kph).