Ford is using CES 2026 to plant a flag in the next phase of hands-free tech, and it is doing it with an interesting twist: the company says it plans to introduce eyes-off Level 3 autonomous driving starting in 2028. The first vehicle slated to get it will be built on Ford’s upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle platform, a new architecture aimed at smaller, more affordable EVs. The headline grabber is the launch product, a compact electric pickup that Ford says will start production in 2027 with an estimated price around $30K, which is a clear signal that Ford wants advanced driver tech to show up in everyday vehicles, not just high-end flagships.

According to Ford, the new Universal EV platform will debut fresh hardware and software that is developed in-house, beginning with the 2027 rollout. Then, just a year later, Ford expects the system to be capable of Level 3 driving that allows you to take your eyes off the road in approved situations. Ford is not spilling the full technical recipe yet, including whether lidar will be part of the sensor suite, though industry reporting suggests lidar could be in the mix. Either way, it sounds like Ford is building toward a more robust setup than what today’s mainstream hands-free systems typically offer, with the bigger promise being less driver workload when the conditions are right.

That is a meaningful step beyond the current version of BlueCruise. Today, BlueCruise can let you take your hands off the wheel on certain divided highways, but it still expects you to keep your eyes forward and be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice. It is also limited to roughly 130,000 miles of mapped divided highways and does not operate as an urban self-driving solution. In other words, Ford’s existing system is a solid highway helper, but it is not the type of tech that lets you mentally check out, and it is definitely not designed for city streets.

Ford executives are framing the next chapter as a push to “democratize” autonomous capability, and the pricing conversation will be just as important as the tech itself. Right now, BlueCruise is offered through subscriptions at $49.99 per month or $495 per year, with some vehicles also offering a $2,495 one-time purchase option when you buy the car. Ford has not said whether that structure will carry over to the Universal EV lineup, but if the company truly wants to pair Level 3 capability with an EV priced around $30K, buyers will be watching closely to see how the ownership costs shake out. If Ford can land the tech, the price, and the usability without piling on complexity, that small electric pickup could end up being one of the most important new vehicles of the late 2020s.