Ford is planning to integrate Apple software into its next-generation fleet of electric vehicles, which will, in turn, help power hands-free driving technology. Apple and Ford announced Thursday that Apple Maps will be included in the automakers' new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform through the use of Apple's MapKit for Automotive SDK. The partnership will also see Ford use road-level data from Apple Maps in the development of the company's next-generation BlueCruise hands-free driving capability, as well as its in-house autonomous driving tech. "Apple Maps delivers the best map experience in the world, and we’re excited to bring the power of Maps’ navigation technology to Ford’s innovative Universal Electric Vehicle Platform," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of services and health. "We're proud to embed Apple Maps' navigation and mapping technology directly into our Universal Electric Vehicle Platform alongside our Ford app, a full suite of software and next-generation BlueCruise, all enabled by a new zonal architecture," Farley said.