These days, it’s somewhat expected for newer cars to come with some kind of built-in software of sorts, especially what with smart tech integration being all the rage these days. That in mind, veteran auto maker Ford recently unveiled that it’s been working alongside Apple to integrate Apple Maps directly within Ford’s upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) Platform, which is set to launch in 2027 for select models.
As such, UEV will run on Apple’s new MapKit for Automotive SDK, which brings deep-level navigation features directly onto the vehicle’s primary displays. Drivers will be able to access natural-language turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates, location search, and smarter EV routing that includes automatic battery preconditioning.
The team-up also serves as a foundation for Ford’s work on autonomous driving—for one, the company’s wholly owned autonomy subsidiary, Latitude AI, will use road-level data from Apple Maps to enhance its in-house Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Jim Farley, Ford CEO states:
Our new midsize electric vehicle will be priced around $30,000 and redefines what advanced technology can be — simple, useful, and truly attainable for more customers… We’re proud to embed Apple Maps’ navigation and mapping technology directly into our Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, giving customers 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’re honored to be among the first to embed it directly into a vehicle, helping define intuitive, capable driving.
