Ford to use Apple Maps in $30,000 EV pickup

Ford Motor Company and Apple announced on July 23, 2026, a partnership to embed Apple Maps as the native navigation system in Ford’s next generation of electric vehicles. The integration will debut on the automaker’s new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, starting with an affordable midsize electric pickup truck priced around $30,000 expected in 2027.

The collaboration utilizes Apple’s newly released MapKit for Automotive software development kit (SDK), which allows Ford to integrate Apple Maps directly into the vehicle’s displays while maintaining its own user interface design. This native integration will provide drivers with turn-by-turn navigation using natural language commands, real-time traffic and incident reports, and detailed place information. A key feature is intelligent EV routing that includes locating charging stations, planning routes based on vehicle range, and battery preconditioning, which optimizes battery temperature before charging to reduce charge times.

Beyond consumer navigation, Ford’s Latitude AI team will use road-level data from Apple Maps to develop the next generation of its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system. This data is...