Lincoln ActiveGlide is a Level 2 advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) to be introduced on future Lincoln vehicles as the automaker shifts to an all-electric lineup. Like Ford BlueCruise, Lincoln ActiveGlide will use ADAS features – including a driver-facing camera – to allow for hands-free driving throughout North America.
While the automaker has not provided timing as to when ActiveGlide will be available, it has announced that an all-new Lincoln electric vehicle will debut next year along with next-generation technology. Also, because Ford BlueCruise will be retroactively available via over-the-air software updates, a similar activation scenario could apply to Lincoln models – and likely those paired with Co-Pilot 360 packages.
Lincoln ActiveGlide uses a combination of advanced camera, radar, and driver monitoring technologies as well as a specified mapping system. Real-world validation tests scanned for variances in road signs, lane markings, exit ramps, traffic patterns, and weather. Referred to as Hands-Free Blue Zones, more than 100,000 miles of divided highways in the United States and Canada have been pre-approved for safe hands-free vehicle operation.
To use Lincoln ActiveGlide, the driver must initiate activation. The system will indicate if the vehicle is in a Hands-Free Blue Zone by communicating to the driver via messages within the digital instrument cluster and blue lighting cues. According to Lincoln, using the color blue – instead of red and green lighting like in General Motors' Super Cruise – ActiveGlide notifications will effectively alert drivers, even those with color blindness.
Once certain conditions are met, the system will take complete control of the vehicle to give the driver an authentic hands-free driving experience. A driver-facing camera located within the instrument cluster will continually monitor the driver's attentiveness to keep the ActiveGlide system activated.
Although capable of hands-free driving, ActiveGlide is classified as Level 2 semi-autonomous technology, and a driver must remain alert at all times. If the driver's eyes and head position are determined not to be focused on the road, the system will prompt the driver to refocus their attention to the road or deactivate.
Lincoln ActiveGlide utilizes the same technology as Ford BlueCruise and, therefore, underwent a similar research and development process that included more than 500,000 miles of validation testing.
In 2020, the automaker utilized a fleet of 10 vehicles to travel 110,000 miles in North America. Road testers traveled across 37 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces to collect data while testing ActiveGlide through various road, traffic, and weather conditions. This development process allowed further refinement of the system before making it available to customers.
Moving forward, Lincoln plans to add new driver-assistance technology and regularly update its mapping software. However, these will not be free services.
Ford announced a three-year service period for BlueCruise with a cost of $600 at launch. After that, a subscription is required. Separately, the hardware costs vary between $995 to $2,600, depending on the vehicle and its existing features.
As a premium brand, Lincoln's pricing may be higher.
Lincoln ActiveGlide offers Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features that are competitive and, at times, surpass the systems of other automakers like Super Cruise, Nissan ProPilot Assist, and Tesla Autopilot. Lincoln says that its late arrival means its development and testing were vetted in real-world usage, covering hundreds of thousands of miles, making the system all the more accurate and, therefore, safer on the roads.
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