Ford will introduce blind-driving technology in a $30,000 car in 2028

ford motor The Detroit automaker on Wednesday plans to introduce blind-driving technology in a $30,000 all-electric car in 2028.

The goal puts Ford in a race against competitors such as… Tesla, GM and Rivian Cars To develop and launch such systems on a large scale, which Wall Street sees as a potential growth market for fully autonomous vehicles.

Ford’s plan is similar to those of other automakers, but the company specifically plans to offer the new system on a flagship electric vehicle first, rather than a more expensive model — challenging the auto industry’s typical technology rollout.

“It’s part of what has evolved into a broader technology strategy to put our best and latest technology where there’s volume and where there’s access,” Doug Field, Ford’s chief electric vehicle, digital and design officer, told CNBC during an interview.

The first vehicle to feature the new system is expected to be built on the company’s upcoming “Universal EV platform,” which Ford said is capable of supporting a variety of vehicles. The first is a mid-sized pickup truck worth about $30,000 that is scheduled to hit the market in 2027.

Field, who joined Ford after stints with apple Tesla said that the first car equipped with a blind spot system would come at this starting price, but it did not reveal whether it would be the pickup truck.

Ford said the next-generation EV platform reduces parts by 20% compared to a typical vehicle, with 25% fewer installers, 40% fewer workstations at the factory, and 15% faster assembly time.

Field announced the no-look system at the CES technology show in Las Vegas along with other plans, including a new software architecture for the car as well as an artificial intelligence assistant designed by Ford.

In October, General Motors announced similar plans, including an artificial intelligence assistant and a monitoring system expected to launch in 2028 on its Cadillac Escalade iQ electric car. This car currently starts at over $127,000.

Ford, led by CEO Jim Farley, is under pressure to deliver its new vehicle platform, known as UEV, and its supporting technologies, which largely fall under the Field.

The company has wasted billions of dollars amid a shift in electric vehicle strategies as well as quality and production issues in recent years.

Ford has dramatically reduced its spending on electric vehicles, shifting focus from large pickup trucks and all-electric SUVs to smaller, more affordable models through a private venture, or “skunkworks” team, that created the UEV platform. Ford announced plans to invest about $5 billion in American factories to produce vehicles and the batteries needed to operate them.

Field referred to the skunkworks team as a “bet” over the past two years that “started building a tremendous amount of confidence” over the “last few months.” He said that Ford now has all the important software and supporting hardware it needs within the company for a new generation of technologically advanced vehicles.

“One of the things we’re seeing is how much faster our development process works on this product and this architecture compared to what we’ve done in the past,” Field said. “So, we have great confidence in our ability to achieve this.”

Ford said last month that it expects to record about $19.5 billion in special items through 2027 related to restructuring efforts and its decline in electric vehicle investments.

Ford’s planned system, which the automaker refers to as “Level 3 driving automation,” will use a combination of sensors and in-house software development to cut costs compared to competitors, Field said.

Field declined to comment on the road map for expanding the new system to include other vehicles, but said the goal is to turn the technology into a commodity.

“The actual timeline for the rollout will depend on a lot of the work we have to do on which customers need it in their applications, when, and which products they are most ready for now,” Field said. “It will take some time to roll it out everywhere, but we will prioritize it based on where we will have the greatest impact on customers.”

SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, has characterized automated driving of vehicles from Level 0 to Level 5. The highest level, Level 5, is a fully autonomous vehicle, with each stage from Level 0 adding more technology and enabling human drivers to be more “out of the loop.”

Ford currently offers a Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System, or ADAS, known as BlueCruise. While active, the vehicle can drive itself in certain conditions without human intervention on divided highways, but drivers must still pay attention to the roads and the system if problems occur.

Ford’s new AI Assistant is expected to launch in early 2026 through Ford and Lincoln’s phone apps, followed by a local in-car trial starting in 2027, the company said Wednesday.

Several other automakers have also announced plans for AI-based digital assistants, but Field said he believes Ford will provide unique capabilities specific to each car or truck by using each vehicle’s unique identification number.

The AI ​​assistant will be able to review an image of a trailer to confirm whether the vehicle can tow it properly, for example, or assess how many bags of mulch the interior of a car or truck can hold, Ford said.

“The AI ​​Companion is something we think we can make special for Ford, which represents what we’re trying to do in terms of customer experience,” Field said.

Aiding the better customer experience is expected to be an updated internal software architecture that Ford calls an “integrated digital platform” that will debut with the UEV platform.

The company said the updated system will result in a more unified “brain inside” the car – one powerful unit that unifies the infotainment system, the co-driver assistance system, audio and networking.

“For customers, it means a vehicle that feels more consistent, reliable and capable year after year,” Field said in a blog post accompanying the CES announcements.