Ford’s $30,000 Electric Pickup Will Be First to Ship with Apple Maps Built In

Ford’s upcoming electric pickup, expected to cost around $30,000, will be the first vehicle on the company’s new Universal Electric Vehicle platform, and it’s coming with Apple Maps baked right into the dashboard. That integration isn’t just for navigation. Ford says the Apple-powered mapping system will feed data to its in-house software team, Latitude AI, to help refine hands-free driving and artificial intelligence systems.

The goal: make autonomous driving affordable enough for everyday buyers.

The pickup, rumored to be called Ranchero and roughly the size of a Ford Maverick, is slated to start production in 2027. Spy shots show a large central touchscreen, which will run Apple’s MapKit technology. Ford is among the first automakers to adopt Apple’s system, most, including Ford, currently rely on Google’s software for navigation and search.

” One particularly handy feature: the system will find charging stations and automatically precondition the battery before you arrive.

Ford CEO Jim Farley says the partnership will make driving simpler, and the mapping data will also help expand BlueCruise. Ford’s current hands-free highway system. BlueCruise can already handle lane changes, speed adjustments, and centering on select highways, but drivers must keep their eyes on the road.

Latitude AI is working on a next-generation self-driving model that could one day allow eyes-off autonomy. While only the electric truck has been confirmed on the UEV platform so far. Ford has hinted at a van and multiple SUVs in the pipeline. The company says the broader plan is to democratize autonomy, but for now, we’ll have to wait until 2027 to see that $30,000 pickup roll off the line.