Ford Promises Level 3 Autonomy on $30K EV While Taking $19.5 Billion in Writedowns

I’ve been tracking Ford’s EV pivot for over a year now, and today’s CES announcement is either the most ambitious course correction in automotive history or another promise the company can’t keep. Ford says it will bring Level 3 eyes-off driving to a $30,000 electric pickup truck en 2028. That’s the same company that just took $19.5 billion in charges admitting its EV strategy failed.

Here’s what makes this genuinely interesting: GM announced the same Level 3 technology in October, but for the Cadillac Escalade IQ starting at $127,000. Ford is betting it can deliver the same capability on a vehicle that costs less than a quarter of the price. That’s not evolution. That’s a fundamentally different philosophy about who deserves advanced technology.

“Autonomy shouldn’t be a premium feature,” said Doug Field, Ford’s chief EV, digital and design officer, at CES today.

But here’s the catch nobody’s talking about.

The key facts:

• What: Ford will offer Level 3 (hands-off, eyes-off) driving starting in 2028
• Vehicle: Debuts on new Universal EV Platform, first model is a $30,000 midsize pickup (2027)
• The catch: Level 3 won’t come standard. It’s an extra-cost option with pricing TBD
• Competition: GM targeting 2028 with Escalade IQ ($127,000+); Stellantis shelved Level 3 entirely
• Context: Ford announced $19.5 billion in EV-related charges three weeks ago

The Level 3 Difference Most Buyers Don’t Understand

This matters more than most coverage suggests. The jump from Level 2 to Level 3 isn’t incremental. It’s a fundamental shift in legal responsibility.

Ford’s current BlueCruise is Level 2. You can take your hands off the wheel on mapped highways, but you must keep your eyes on the road. If something goes wrong, it’s your fault. You’re the driver. BlueCruise currently costs $50 per month or $495 annually as a subscription.

Level 3 is different. When the system is engaged and operating within its design domain, you can look away from the road entirely. Read your phone. Watch a video. The vehicle manufacturer accepts legal liability during that time. This is why Mercedes-Benz obtained regulatory approval in California and Nevada before activating its Drive Pilot system. It’s why insurance implications change. It’s why this is genuinely significant.

“Because of the now-owned end-to-end stack between the camera and other sensors, we have a lot of flexibility in the future,” a Ford spokesperson told InsideEVs regarding whether the system will include lidar.

Ford hasn’t confirmed whether lidar will be included, though competitors like GM are using it for their Level 3 systems. The company is emphasizing in-house development to reduce costs and enable faster updates.

The $19.5 Billion Elephant in the Room

Three weeks ago, Ford announced it would take $19.5 billion in special charges related to restructuring its EV business. That includes $8.5 billion in EV asset writedowns. The company killed the next-generation F-150 Lightning in its current all-electric form, is converting BlueOval City from EV production to battery storage, and is pivoting hard toward hybrids and extended-range EVs.

Ford’s Model E division lost $5 billion in 2024. The company doesn’t expect EV profitability until 2029.

Now Ford is promising Level 3 autonomy on an affordable EV platform that doesn’t exist yet, on a timeline that extends two years beyond the vehicle’s launch, while simultaneously admitting the current approach failed badly enough to warrant nearly $20 billion in charges.

We’ve seen this pattern before. The F-150 Lightning was once compared to Henry Ford’s Model T. It’s now being converted to an extended-range EV with a gas generator.

Ford vs. GM: Two Philosophies on Democratizing Autonomy

The contrast with GM couldn’t be sharper.

When GM announced eyes-off driving in October, it targeted the Cadillac Escalade IQ. That vehicle starts at $127,000 before adding any autonomy hardware. GM’s approach follows the traditional automotive playbook: debut expensive technology on luxury vehicles, then migrate it downmarket over time.

Ford is inverting that model. Doug Field explicitly framed this as putting advanced technology where volume buyers can access it first.

Here’s why that matters for buyers: if Ford succeeds, Level 3 autonomy becomes accessible to mainstream buyers years earlier than traditional rollout strategies would allow. If Ford fails to deliver on cost targets, buyers will have waited for technology that never materializes at the promised price. Feature Ford (2028) GM (2028) First Vehicle $30,000 midsize pickup Cadillac Escalade IQ ($127,000+) Autonomy Level Level 3 (eyes-off) Level 3 (eyes-off) Included Standard? No, extra-cost option TBD Sensor Approach TBD (may include lidar) Lidar, radar, cameras Current System BlueCruise Level 2 ($50/mo) Super Cruise Level 2

The Fine Print Buyers Need to Know

Here’s what Ford isn’t emphasizing: Level 3 won’t come standard on the $30,000 truck.

“We’re also learning a lot about the business model. Should it be a subscription? Should you pay for it all at the beginning? We’re focused right now on making it super affordable, and we’re very excited about that. We have time to establish the pricing for it,” Field told Reuters.

Translation: the $30,000 price is for the truck. Level 3 autonomy will cost extra. How much extra? Ford doesn’t know yet, or isn’t saying.

Current BlueCruise Level 2 costs $50 monthly ($600 annually) or $495 for a one-time annual payment. Mercedes-Benz charges $2,500 annually for its Level 3 Drive Pilot subscription. If Ford’s Level 3 follows similar pricing patterns, buyers should expect to add thousands to the out-the-door cost, either upfront or over time.

For prospective buyers doing math: a $30,000 truck with a $3,000 Level 3 option and destination charges could easily approach $35,000 or more before incentives. That’s still dramatically cheaper than a $127,000 Escalade IQ, but it’s not the “$30,000 with Level 3” headline some readers might assume.

Doug Field’s Track Record

Doug Field joined Ford after stints at Apple and Tesla. At Tesla, he led vehicle engineering during the Model 3 ramp. At Apple, he worked on the now-cancelled Apple Car project before returning briefly to Tesla, then moving to Ford in 2021.

His presence signals Ford is serious about software-defined vehicles. The company now says it owns the “end-to-end stack” for its autonomy systems, reducing reliance on suppliers.

“One of the things we’re seeing is just how much faster our development process works on this product and this architecture compared to what we’ve done in the past,” Field said. “So, we have a lot of confidence in our ability to get this out.”

The Universal EV Platform (UEV) itself is designed for efficiency: 20% fewer parts, 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations, and 15% faster assembly time compared to Ford’s current architecture. That’s how Ford claims it can hit the $30,000 price point.

What About Tesla?

Notably absent from Ford’s competitive framing: Tesla. While Ford and GM are pursuing Level 3 with formal regulatory approval and liability frameworks, Tesla continues to market Full Self-Driving as a Level 2 system that requires driver supervision, despite the name.

Tesla’s approach relies on vision-only processing without lidar. The company has repeatedly promised fully autonomous capability but has not achieved regulatory approval for unsupervised driving in consumer vehicles.

For buyers comparing options: Ford’s Level 3 system, if approved, would legally allow eyes-off driving on specific highways. Tesla’s FSD, regardless of capability improvements, currently requires constant driver attention by regulation and company policy.

EVXL’s Take

I want to believe Ford can pull this off. Level 3 autonomy on a $30,000 EV would genuinely change the market. It would force GM to accelerate downmarket deployment. It would validate Doug Field’s strategy of putting technology where volume buyers can access it.

But I’ve been covering Ford’s EV promises for years. Jim Farley called Chinese EV competition an “existential threat” in September 2024. By June 2025, he called it “the most humbling thing I have ever seen.” Ford’s Model E division was losing $1.4 billion per quarter while the company promised budget EVs were coming.

Now Ford is announcing Level 3 autonomy on a vehicle that doesn’t exist yet, from a platform that hasn’t been validated, with pricing that hasn’t been determined, while taking $19.5 billion in charges for the EV business that failed.

Here’s what I expect: Ford will deliver the $30,000 midsize pickup in 2027, probably slightly above that price point once destination and fees are included. The Level 3 system will arrive in 2028 as promised, but as a premium option costing $2,000-$4,000 upfront or a subscription in the $100-150/month range. Availability will initially be limited to specific mapped highways, similar to Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot rollout.

If I’m right, Ford will have genuinely democratized Level 3 autonomy compared to GM’s luxury-first approach. But buyers expecting “$30,000 with self-driving” will discover the actual cost is meaningfully higher.

The question isn’t whether Ford can deliver autonomous driving. GM and Mercedes-Benz have already proven Level 3 is technically achievable. The question is whether Ford can deliver it profitably at mass-market prices while its EV division hemorrhages billions.

We’ll be watching the 2027 truck launch very closely. If Ford hits that $30,000 target with a competitive vehicle, the 2028 Level 3 promise becomes credible. If the truck launches above $35,000 with compromises, expect the autonomy timeline to slip too.

For current Ford EV owners: This system is designed for the new UEV platform. Don’t expect Level 3 to retrofit to existing Mustang Mach-E or F-150 Lightning vehicles. Your BlueCruise will remain Level 2.

For prospective buyers considering waiting: The 2027 truck will arrive without Level 3. You’d need to buy hardware-ready and wait for software activation in 2028. Factor that into your decision timeline.

What do you think? Is Ford’s democratization play the right strategy, or should they have followed GM’s luxury-first approach? Share your thoughts in the comments.