Ford is putting Apple Maps at the centre of its next electric vehicle platform, giving future owners built-in navigation without relying on phone projection. Ford confirmed that the service will be integrated directly into its Universal Electric Vehicle Platform from 2027.
The platform will first underpin a new midsize electric vehicle expected to cost around $30,000. Ford has previously identified the first model as a pickup, with more body styles planned for the same flexible architecture.
Apple Maps will appear directly on the vehicle’s displays and provide natural-language directions. Drivers will also receive real-time traffic updates, incident information and detailed place cards when searching for destinations.
The built-in system will support intelligent EV routing, helping drivers find suitable charging stops during a journey. Battery preconditioning will prepare the pack before the vehicle reaches a charger, which can help improve charging performance.
Ford will continue to support CarPlay, so drivers will not have to choose one system permanently. The embedded version of Apple Maps will simply offer another option when an iPhone is not connected.
The partnership will also feed into the next generation of BlueCruise. Ford plans to use road-level data from Apple Maps to improve its hands-free highway driving experience between the on-ramp and off-ramp.
Apple Maps will support the system, but Ford is still developing the advanced driving technology itself. That work remains with Latitude AI, Ford’s wholly owned autonomy subsidiary, which is building the hardware and software behind its future driver-assistance systems.
Latitude AI is also developing a more advanced eyes-off driving system expected in 2028. Apple Maps will provide road information, while Ford remains responsible for how the vehicle drives and responds.
For Ford, the partnership adds a recognisable navigation service to a platform designed to make EVs more affordable. For Apple, it offers a deeper place inside the car without requiring the company to build one itself.