[UK] Hands free (Level 2) driving has arrived

[Zilla91]

BlueCruise hands free driving has been approved for use in the UK. It looks like legislation is no longer a barrier as some others will make you believe.

Ford BlueCruise expands to the UK

Ford has launched its BlueCruise hands-free driving technology in the United Kingdom (UK). The driver-assistance technology has received full approval from the Department of Transport and can be used on 3,700km (2,300 miles) of pre-mapped […]

driveteslacanada.ca

 

[speedyranger74]

But is level 2... I can't see hands free, for make calls, of course .

 

[Medved_77]

But is level 2... I can't see hands free, for make calls, of course .

It's hands free if on the pre-mapped roads, no need to nudge the steering wheel. Cabin camera will complain if it can see you're not paying attention to the road.

Edit: To add, there are 2300 miles of motorway in the UK, so from the article I'd assume that the pre-mapped roads are the entirety of the UK motorway network.

 

[Dilly]

Perhaps Tesla will pull their finger out…

 

[MrBadger]

Perhaps Tesla will pull their finger out…

They would need to have a hand free to do that…

 

[Mr H]

To keep the hands free feature it’s a monthly subscription. Where have we heard that before?

 

[NewbieT]

Tested for just 100,000 miles. Eek. Ford BlueCruise: Hands Free Driving Technology | Ford UK

Is it speed limited?

“Driver’s eyes must remain on the road ahead to enable safe use of Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving. It remains the driver’s responsibility to ensure safe driving at all times.”

What are you supposed to do with your hands whilst looking at the road the whole time? Other than the nags, does this really give any benefit over AP?

 

[Medved_77]

What are you supposed to do with your hands whilst looking at the road the whole time?

 

[Js1977]

To keep the hands free feature it’s a monthly subscription. Where have we heard that before?

I think ill wait for my free bus pass in 2044

 

[Zilla91]

What are you supposed to do with your hands whilst looking at the road the whole time? Other than the nags, does this really give any benefit over AP?

Relax them?

I guess the benefit is that you don't have to worry about lane changes and just makes a mundane motorway journey less mundane

 

[Medved_77]

Relax them?

I guess the benefit is that you don't have to worry about lane changes and just makes a mundane motorway journey less mundane

Lane changes require hands on.

Edit: I'm wrong.

 

[Zilla91]

Do they? The video I posted of BlueCruise in the other thread in the US had automatic handsfree lane changes and nothing in the literature on the Ford website says anything about hands on lane changes.

 

[Medved_77]

Do they? The video I posted of BlueCruise in the other thread in the US had automatic handsfree lane changes and nothing in the literature on the Ford website says anything about hands on lane changes.

Apologies, I was looking at drives on older Mach Es. The ones produced since Autumn 2022 include hands free lane changes.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2022/09/08/bluecruise-hands-free-lane-changing.html

 

[Artiste]

To keep the hands free feature it’s a monthly subscription. Where have we heard that before?

At £17.99 a month it’s massively better value than FSD, or even EAP.

 

[LiamPope]

So basically EAP with no steering wheel nag or need to confirm lane changes, for 17.99 a month? Tesla need to pull their socks up.

 

[pgkevet]

As I understand it the lane change requires driver to activate the turn signal which is arguably not hands-free driving although the lane change itself is automated.

 

[NewbieT]

The Telegraph “Driverless Fords gets the green light on UK roads”.

No entirely accurate but let’s not spoil the headline.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

It’s good they’re putting pressure on Tesla, including on price, and these things help debunk the usual “it’s not Tesla’s fault it’s crippled in the uk, it’s the regulations” which many come out with, but for me, we don’t really need to push level 2 any further, the really useful development we need is level 3 or above.

If I need to pay attention, I need to pay attention. The step change is when I don’t need to pay attention.

 

[Zilla91]

As I understand it the lane change requires driver to activate the turn signal which is arguably not hands-free driving although the lane change itself is automated.

Where did you read/hear that?

 

[Zilla91]

Reminder of how BlueCruise works