Apple and Ford announced today that Apple Maps will power the navigation system for Ford’s upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, launching in 2027 at a price of around $30,000.
The integration leverages Apple’s new MapKit Automotive SDK, allowing Ford to integrate “Apple Maps” directly into vehicle displays while retaining the ability to customize the experience to match Ford’s design language. Drivers will get step-by-step directions through natural language search, real-time traffic and incident information, and intelligent routing for electric vehicles that includes battery preconditioning. The map data will also help Ford develop an improved version of BlueCruise, the automaker’s hands-free highway driving capability. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services and Health, said:
Apple Maps delivers the world’s best mapping experience and we’re excited to bring the power of Maps navigation technology to Ford’s innovative universal electric vehicle platform. With our new MapKit Automotive SDK, we’re integrating Maps even further into drivers’ daily lives, giving them an incredibly accurate, easy-to-use navigation system that’s seamlessly integrated into Ford vehicles.
The MapKit Automotive SDK represents one of Apple’s biggest automotive advancements to date, beyond CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra. The SDK gives automakers access to Apple’s map data and allows them to integrate navigation as a native feature of the vehicle rather than simply mirroring an iPhone app. Apple maintains privacy protections in automotive use, with the company not collecting user location data or activities related to individual identities through the vehicle’s mapping system. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, said:
Our new mid-size electric vehicle will cost approximately $30,000 and redefines what advanced technology can be: simple, useful and truly accessible to more customers. We’re proud to integrate Apple Maps navigation and mapping technology directly into our universal electric vehicle platform, providing customers with the ultimate navigation experience alongside our Ford app, a full suite of software and next-generation BlueCruise, all enabled by a new zonal architecture. Apple Maps has delivered a world-class product and we are honored to be among the first to integrate it directly into a vehicle, helping to define intuitive, high-performance driving.
Ford is one of the first automakers to directly integrate Apple’s navigation engine rather than relying on CarPlay. CarPlay will still be available on Ford vehicles, Apple said, providing an additional input method for drivers who prefer iPhone integration.
The UEV platform will roll out starting in 2027, with a price tag of $30,000 targeting traditional buyers looking for affordable electric vehicle options from a major U.S. automaker.
