Ford to introduce hands-free assist system with Mustang Mach-E

LOS ANGELES — Ford Motor Co.'s 2021 Mustang Mach-E will feature a new, hands-free driver-assist system that will compete with Cadillac's Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot.

The automaker will equip Premium and GT trims of the battery-electric crossover with the hardware necessary to launch the optional system, meant for highway driving, once it starts building them in Mexico next year, according to Dave Pericak, global director of Ford's icon vehicles.

But Ford does not yet know when it will activate the system, which will use lasers and cameras in the wheel to monitor a driver's alertness.

"As long as you're staying alert and in the right zone on the highway, you're going to be able to go hands-free and let the car do the work," Pericak said.

He declined to reveal the name for the system, which will build upon the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering technologies found on Ford vehicles today. It's unclear how much the system will cost or whether customers will be asked to pay an additional fee to activate it when available.

Cadillac has been widely praised for its Super Cruise system, which launched in 2017 on the CT6. The luxury brand plans to expand it to the CT5 starting in 2020 before ultimately spreading the technology throughout its lineup.