Ford Motor Co. says eyes-off and hands-off autonomous driving will be road-ready in 2028, and it’ll introduce new artificial intelligence-powered features to its current customers starting this year.
The Dearborn, Michigan automaker on Wednesday introduced the Ford AI assistant and its new vehicle compute center at the massive CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas. The technology takes a similar approach to electric vehicle makers like Tesla Inc. and Rivian Automotive Inc. as well as Chinese automakers capable of offering inexpensive, tech-savvy EVs that executives have warned is a growing threat internationally.
“Our vision for the customer is simple, but not elementary: a seamless layer of intelligence that travels with you between your phone and your vehicle,” Doug Field, Ford’s chief EV, digital and design officer, said in a blog post. “What customers need is intelligence that understands where you are, what you’re doing, and what your vehicle is capable of, and then makes the next decision simpler.”
The full architecture will debut on Ford’s Universal EV Platform that it started developing in California with its “skunkworks” team. In the $30,000 midsize electric pickup truck that’ll launch the platform in 2027, the automaker will control the vehicle’s entire hardware and software stack. The in-house development approach provides a more flexible and cheaper system, according to the company.
“I like that they are developing vehicle specific tech that only they can provide as that has value to the vehicle owner and they will be willing to pay for that,” David Whiston, analyst at investment firm Morningstar Inc., said in an email.
Over years, automakers increasingly computerized various parts of their vehicles, upping the number of electronic control units often provided by suppliers. These computers control subsystems like seats, brakes and the engine, but with so many of them from various places, it makes it harder to update their software.
The more unified “vehicle brain” in Ford’s new architecture is a single, powerful module that centralizes control of infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems, audio and networking. The vertically integrated system is half the size and faster, offering more consistent and reliable service to customers through over-the-air updates, according to Ford.
The system also will a Universal Level 2 and Level 3 ADAS platform that is expected to reduce hands-off Level 2 automated driving costs by 30%. The Ford-developed platform also will support eyes-off Level 3 driving by 2028. First appearing on an affordable vehicle also democratizes the technology, Field wrote.
“If a feature doesn’t solve a real problem or make you smile, customers shouldn’t have to pay for it,” he said. “Truly impactful technology must be attainable. If it doesn’t reach the many, it isn’t a revolution — it’s a luxury.”
Tesla, Rivian and several Chinese companies have zonal electrical architectures on the road. General Motors Co. began rolling out a zonal electrical architecture in 2023 called its Ultifi platform, though it integrates with the vehicle’s existing hardware, which includes many ECUs for different functions. The automaker also plans to launch in 2028 Level 3 driving technology on the Cadillac Escalade IQ SUV, which starts at close to $130,000. Chrysler parent Stellantis NV’s zonal architecture is its STLA Brain platform.
“It’s a catch-up, but it’s a huge statement,” Daniel Ives, analyst for investment firm Wedbush Securities Inc., said of Ford. “They’re pivoting, especially with AI technology and Ford trying to find opportunities that they could significantly increase their brand and market opportunity across automotive, but also tech.”
Ford customers won’t completely have to wait for a new vehicle for the benefits of the software it’s developing. The Ford AI assistant will begin rolling out to as many as 8 million customers with the Ford and Lincoln app in the first half of 2026.
“Imagine you’re at a home improvement store standing in front of a pallet of supplies,” Field said. “Instead of guessing or searching for a tape measure, you can simply snap a photo on your phone of the bags of mulch and ask: ‘How many of these will fit in my truck bed?’ Within seconds, the assistant analyzes the photo, calculates the volume of the bags, and confirms that you can fit 35 of them based on your Ford truck.”
The feature will become integrated into Ford’s native vehicle systems starting in 2027 on vehicles like the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. But launching it in its app first empowers the most customers, said Mike Aragon, president of Ford’s Integrated Services software business, harkening to Ford’s history with the Model T that first made the automobile accessible to the masses.
“It allows us to reach millions of Ford customers faster,” he wrote in a blog post. “You shouldn’t have to wait to buy a brand-new vehicle to experience the future of Ford intelligence. With an in-app launch, we can deliver advanced features and personalized assistance to the Ford you already own.”
Ford has been on a seven-plus-year journey to develop its own electronics. Its in-house electronic team has produced 35 million modules — about 10 million per year and growing, Paul Costa, executive director of electronics platforms, said in a blog post. The approach and unifying many modules found in a vehicle into a more centralized system will offer cost savings of 10-15% per module, he added. The UEV architecture gives Ford five times more control over critical semiconductors powering the modules.
Software has been a major challenge for the auto industry. Ford last year set a record for recalls in a single year, nearly doubling the previous record, with a large chunk of the notices related to verifying software that fixed previous recalls ended up in the right place. A more unified system will help to ease those kinds of processes.
Emphasizing reduced costs, parts and complexity, Ford in August announced the UEV Platform and Production System, which will have it trading out a three-pronged assembly tree over the traditional Henry Ford-developed moving assembly line. The platform geared toward competing against Chinese competitors will launch at Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, and the facility ended production of the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair crossovers in December for retooling.
“We are moving beyond the status quo of generic, fragmented tech,” Aragon wrote, “to create a future where your vehicle is as smart, responsive, and personalized as the rest of your life.”