buying GM sues Ford over BlueCruise hands-free driving aid name

03:35 28 november 2021

03:35 28 november 2021 Source: cnet.com

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A report says Ford intends to spend $850 million to double its original output goals for the electric truck because of so much interest by prospective customers.Ford says it has 120,000 $100 pre-orders for the EV truck, which is scheduled to launch next spring with a 15,000-unit run for the 2022 model year. Ford will spend an extra $850 million to reach its new goal, according to the Reuters report. In a statement to Car and Driver, Ford didn't confirm the details of its production plans but said it "will continue to look for ways to break constraints and meet customer demand.

General Motors slapped cross-town rival Ford with a fresh lawsuit this past weekend, arguing the Blue Oval's new BlueCruise hands-free driving assistant infringes on its own trademarks for Super Cruise and its Cruise subsidiary's business name. GM first announced Super Cruise in 2012 and introduced the technology on the Cadillac CT6 sedan in 2017. Ford announced Blue Cruise earlier this year as a rival, hands-free highway driving technology.

a view of a car: GM's not happy with Ford's naming strategy. Ford

GM released the following statement: "While GM had hoped to resolve the trademark infringement matter with Ford amicably, we were left with no choice but to vigorously defend our brands and protect the equity our products and technology have earned over several years in the market."

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The automaker declined to comment further citing pending litigation.

In a statement, Ford countered GM's arguments. "GM has had zero issue with other 'cruise' names," it said, citing Hyundai's Smart Cruise Control and BMW's Active Cruise Control.

"We think GM Cruise's claim from is meritless and frivolous. Drivers for decades have understood what cruise control is, every automaker offers it, and 'cruise' is common shorthand for the capability," the automaker added. "That's why BlueCruise was chosen as the name for the Blue Oval's next evolution of Ford's Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, which incorporates hands-free Blue Zones and other advanced cruise-control features."

Reuters, which viewed the litigation documents, quoted this from the lawsuit: "Ford knew what it was doing. Ford's decision to rebrand by using a core mark used by GM and Cruise will inevitably cause confusion."

5000 miles, six friends, three cars, and one clutch swap make for an epic Bonneville road trip

The Iron Lords car club is a tight-knit group that favors traditional hot rods. Their idea of a good time is joining a convoy of cars and making the yearly pilgrimage to the racing holy land that is Bonneville Speed Week. This group of six friends from the club have known each other since about […] The post 5000 miles, six friends, three cars, and one clutch swap make for an epic Bonneville road trip appeared first on Hagerty Media. Looking to purchase a car? Find your match on the MSN Autos Marketplace

General Motors ultimately wants to block Ford from using the name. Ford, meanwhile, plans to roll BlueCruise out to the F-150 pickup and Mustang Mach-E electric SUV later this year.

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a truck is parked on the side of a building

You can go hands-free with Ford BlueCruise later this year

1/7 SLIDES © Provided by Roadshow

Ford is making long trips just a little easier with its new BlueCruise hands-free driving aid.
2/7 SLIDES © Provided by Roadshow

This technology will work on more than 100,000 miles of divided highway in the US and Canada.
3/7 SLIDES © Provided by Roadshow

The instrument cluster clearly indicates when you're on a road that supports BlueCruise.
4/7 SLIDES © Provided by Roadshow

Hands-free driving can really take the stress out of long road trips.
5/7 SLIDES © Provided by Roadshow

This technology launches on the 2021 Ford F-150 pickup and 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E all-electric SUV.
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More features and greater vehicle availability are coming to BlueCruise in the future.
7/7 SLIDES © Provided by Roadshow

This system is a rival to GM's excellent Super Cruise system.

This was originally published on Roadshow.

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Lincoln Zephyr revealed: What could've been for America .
Lincoln's new luxury sedan is just for China and nowhere else. Sadly.Lincoln said the new Zephyr is a design distinctly focused on capturing's China's youth looking for a luxury car. The fresh look includes a super large grille, light bar and a prominent Lincoln badge smack-dab in the middle. The side profile is rather smooth before the rear tapers back into a fastback sort of look. The taillights also take on a light bar look, and if you're thinking there's some Audi styling cues in here, you're not alone. Nevertheless, it feels very Lincoln at the same time with an elegant, understated look.