Ford and Google make big Android Automotive announcement

Ford and Google have jointly issued a big Android Automotive announcement. Together, the companies are releasing a major upgrade to the Android Auto experience for Ford EVs.

What is the big Android Automotive announcement from Ford?

Ford has been betting big on Electric Vehicles (EVs). However, some of the popular Ford EVs run phone-based Android Auto. They do not have the new Android Automotive experience, which runs natively.

In a big announcement about the Ford automotive department, Anthony Phillips has confirmed that Ford EVs are getting upgrades for the Android Auto experience. In the official announcement on LinkedIn, Phillips confirmed updates are rolling out to the Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.

Drivers of the abovementioned Ford EVs will soon have access to smarter navigation tools for managing charging stops. Drivers will soon be able to track battery levels through Google Maps on Android Auto.

Ford announced these updates for the Android Automotive experience earlier this year. According to Android Authority, these improvements are focused on Ford’s electric truck and SUV, for now. Although neither of the companies has confirmed yet, other Ford models may get the update in the future.

How will Ford EVs benefit from the latest update?

It is important to note that the updates are rolling out to the phone-based Android Auto. In other words, certain Ford EV owners will gain the new features after updating their cars and the Android Auto app on their Android smartphones.

The highlight of the update is real-time battery level estimations within Google Maps. Drivers will now get to see the remaining battery charge upon reaching their destination while navigating. Google Maps will also show a “minimum recommended charge” for reaching certain destinations. Such features were exclusive to vehicles with the integrated Android Automotive system.

The updated Android Auto for Ford EVs will also show charging stations equipped with NACS chargers along the route. The NACS standard, developed by Tesla, is also supported by some Ford EVs via an adapter.

Moving forward, if a Ford EV driver selects a DC fast charger, the vehicle will automatically initiate battery preconditioning. This means the battery would be brought to an ideal temperature to initiate fast charging quickly and efficiently.

As Google is updating the Android Auto app, it is quite likely that EVs from other manufacturers could get these updates in the future. However, no automaker has made any official announcement yet.