Ford to Use Apple Maps for Navigation and BlueCruise in New EV Platform

Ford will embed Apple Maps directly into its Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, replacing the Google-based navigation it has used since 2023. The integration, announced July 23, 2026, will debut with a $30,000 midsize electric pickup in 2027 and will also feed road-level data into Ford's next-generation BlueCruise hands-free driving system Source: TheNextWeb.

What’s announced

Ford is using Apple’s new MapKit for Automotive SDK to build a native navigation experience that does not require an iPhone. The system offers turn-by-turn directions with natural language search, real-time traffic and incident data, and EV-specific routing with battery preconditioning Source: Engadget. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company is “honored to be among the first to embed” Apple Maps directly into a vehicle Source: Fox Business.

BlueCruise and self-driving capabilities

Ford’s Latitude AI team will use Apple Maps road-level data to enhance BlueCruise, aiming for a seamless on-ramp-to-off-ramp experience Source: The Verge. However, Ford spokesperson Amy Mast clarified that “Apple is not building Ford’s self-driving technology”; Ford is developing its own ADAS in-house Source: The Verge. The next-generation BlueCruise is expected to handle point-to-point highway drives, with eyes-off driving targeted for 2028 Source: TechCrunch.

What’s next

The UEV platform, built with LFP batteries and megacasting at Louisville Assembly Plant, will underpin a range of affordable EVs. Ford promises they will be cheaper than a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y Source: TheNextWeb. CarPlay will remain available alongside the native Apple Maps integration. The terms of the commercial agreement between Ford and Apple were not disclosed Source: TechCrunch.