Apple Maps to power navigation and hands-free driving in Ford's 2027 EVs

Apple and Ford have announced a new partnership that will bring Apple Maps directly to Ford Universal Electric Vehicles (UEV), marking the first integration of Apple's mapping platform into the automaker's upcoming EV lineup. The integration will deliver a streamlined, built-in navigation experience powered by Apple Maps, eliminating the need to rely solely on smartphone mirroring.

The new system will offer turn-by-turn navigation with natural language guidance, real-time traffic and incident updates, intuitive search with detailed place cards, EV routing, and battery preconditioning to help drivers navigate more efficiently. Road-level map data from Apple Maps will also enable Latitude AI, Ford's autonomous driving division, to further develop the automaker's next-generation BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system, delivering a smoother on-ramp to off-ramp driving experience.

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The integration is powered by Apple's new MapKit for Automotive SDK, which allows automakers to embed and customize Apple Maps within their own infotainment systems while maintaining a look and feel consistent with their vehicle interfaces.

Apple said the SDK follows the same privacy principles as the Apple Maps app, ensuring that users' location data and activity within the vehicle's maps cannot be linked back to individual users. Despite the native Apple Maps integration, Apple CarPlay will continue to be available across Ford vehicles, allowing drivers to safely access their iPhone features while on the road.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services and Health, said the new MapKit for Automotive SDK will bring Apple Maps' navigation technology directly to Ford's upcoming EVs, delivering a seamless, accurate, and easy-to-use mapping experience integrated into the vehicle's interface.