Ford will build Apple Maps into its next EV lineup

Ford is making Apple Maps part of the software stack for its next wave of electric vehicles, starting with a planned $30,000 midsize truck due in 2027. For investors, the move shows how Ford is trying to make lower-cost EVs feel more tech-forward while leaning on Apple for a piece of the in-car experience.

Apple said Thursday it is launching MapKit for Automotive, a software development kit that lets automakers put Apple Maps navigation and mapping directly inside a vehicle’s infotainment system. A software development kit, or SDK, is a set of tools developers use to build features into their own products.

Ford will be the first automaker to use the new Apple tools. The companies said they have signed a commercial agreement, though they did not disclose financial terms.

What changes for drivers

The key difference is that Apple Maps will run natively in the vehicle. That means the mapping system is built into the car’s own software, separate from Apple CarPlay, which mirrors apps from an iPhone onto the dashboard screen.

Drivers will get Apple Maps features such as live traffic and incident data, destination search, detailed place information and turn-by-turn directions. The companies also said the system will support EV-focused routing, including more efficient route planning for electric vehicles.

One feature tied to that routing is battery preconditioning. In plain English, the vehicle can warm or cool its battery before reaching a charger so it is closer to the right temperature when charging begins, which can cut charging time.

The companies said the embedded maps could also support smart home actions, such as opening a garage door or turning on lights when a driver arrives home.

Why Ford wants it in the car, not just on the phone

Ford’s next EV lineup is built around a universal EV platform, known as UEV, that is set to underpin the midsize truck and later vehicles including a sedan, crossover, three-row SUV and small commercial vans. Ford has said the vehicles are meant to be affordable and efficient while offering newer technology.

The Apple integration fits that pitch. Ford is also making major manufacturing changes for the platform, including the use of single-piece aluminum unicastings, which are large cast parts designed to reduce part counts and speed assembly.

Software is another part of the plan. By having Apple Maps built into the vehicle, Ford can connect navigation data more closely with vehicle systems than it could through a phone-mirroring setup.

That matters for driver assistance as well. The Apple Maps integration will provide road-level information to Ford’s next-generation BlueCruise hands-free driver assistance system, according to the companies.

Ford has said the upgraded BlueCruise system, expected next year, will be able to handle a full highway trip, including entrance and exit ramps. The company has also said the system is intended to progress toward “point-to-point autonomy,” similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software, before moving to eyes-off driving in 2028.

Fleet use is part of the pitch

Ford said the Apple Maps work could also help Ford Pro, its business serving commercial fleet customers. Fleet operators could use the embedded map to send drivers to job sites or show other company vehicles on the same map.

The new Apple technology will be available to other automakers, according to Apple. Ford gets the first launch, giving it an early test of whether tighter Apple integration can help its next EVs stand out in a crowded market.

This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.