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Apple Maps is becoming Ford’s new navigation mode for select vehicles
9to5Mac • • general
Key Points:
- Apple and Ford have announced a partnership to integrate Apple Maps directly into Ford’s upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) Platform, launching in 2027, using Apple’s new MapKit for Automotive SDK.
- The integration will provide drivers with turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic updates, intuitive search with detailed place cards, and intelligent EV routing including battery preconditioning, all displayed natively on the vehicle’s interface.
- Ford’s Latitude AI team will utilize Apple Maps’ road-level data to enhance the next-generation BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system, aiming for a seamless on-ramp-to-off-ramp experience.
- Apple Maps integration will be built into the vehicle itself, allowing drivers without iPhones to access its features, although CarPlay will remain available as an option.
- This deal marks one of the first automotive integrations using Apple’s MapKit for Automotive SDK, with Apple hinting at additional partnerships with other automakers in the future.
