Ford already has a partnership with Apple, but it is now taking things to a new level beyond the basic CarPlay connection. The Blue Oval has announced that its next-generation EVs will have Apple Maps built directly into the infotainment system of the new electric vehicles.
This, of course, is at the expense of Google. For a while, Google Maps has been the integrated system within Ford’s vehicles. But that is now set to change, with Apple Maps due to make its debut on the upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform.
The first we will see this used is on the $30,000 mid-size electric pickup truck, as Ford looks to create a more affordable electric vehicle lineup. This is effectively the successor to the electric F-150 Lightning, as the brand aims to right the wrongs of that particular vehicle.
Ford is going back to the drawing board with the new UEV platform. In fact, the company is planning a whole family of low-cost electric vehicles to try and recapture some of the market that has escaped electric vehicles over recent times. All of these new Fords are expected to have Apple integrated into the infotainment system.
How the Apple Integration Will Work
The previous Apple Maps setup required you to have an iPhone running Apple CarPlay in order to link the device with the Ford vehicle. This new setup, however, changes that, with it integrated natively into whichever vehicle is utilizing it. This is how Ford had Google Maps integrated previously.
This means that every driver, whether you have an iPhone or not, will have access to Apple Maps navigation software as standard. It will allow drivers to see real-time traffic data, route planning for EVs with charging points, and it will also include battery preconditioning. If you want the features that come with Apple CarPlay, that will still be available within the infotainment system. The only difference is that Apple Maps is an integrated vehicle feature.
As well as the native integration, Ford has said that the detailed road data from Apple Maps will help with the evolution of its BlueCruise hands-free driving system. Ford said that the new data should help improve the ability of the system to operate from highway on-ramp to off-ramp. It is a different approach to its rivals, as General Motors has abandoned Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Instead, it uses its own Google-based software. Tesla and Rivian use their own in-house infotainment systems.
Ford Is Aiming To Make Its EVs More Affordable
The vehicle we will first see this new Apple integration on from Ford is its $30,000 electric pickup truck. Ford has openly struggled to make EVs profitable, and it took a huge $19.5 billion hit on its EV investments in 2025. However, the Blue Oval does still see electric cars as the future. But it won’t be creating oversized EVs anymore, as it did with the F-150 Lightning.
Instead, the vehicles using the new UEV platform will be focused on efficiency and profitability. They will be smaller and cheaper than before, with the upcoming pickup truck just the first of many new machines. Ford is set to publicly announce the new truck in August 2026, with it potentially bearing the Ranchero name.