Back at WWDC in 2020, Apple unveiled its plans to offer more detailed and powerful routing features for electric vehicles with Apple Maps. That feature appears to have quietly launched as part of iOS 15.4 this week for Ford users, and Ford has already published a new support document detailing how Mach-E drivers can take advantage of it.
EV routing in Apple Maps for Mach-E drivers
This feature is activated exclusively through CarPlay, which is Apple’s in-car infotainment system supported by the the Mach-E and many other vehicles on the market today. For Mach-E owners, Ford says EV routing in Apple Maps can be activated from the Apple Maps in the CarPlay interface.
Ford explains that you simply need to connect your iPhone to your Mach-E and enable CarPlay as you normally would, then set a destination using Apple Maps. Your Mach-E should then prompt you to set up EV routing using the Apple Maps app on your iPhone running iOS 15.4.
Once you’ve enabled EV routing in Apple Maps on your iPhone, the feature is simultaneously enabled for all routes using Apple Maps through CarPlay as well. When you create new map routes, it will display the estimated battery charge of the vehicle at the end of the trip. If you’ll need to stop and charge along that route, Apple Maps will also add in those stop(s).
As of right now, this feature is only available for the Mustang Mach-E, but Ford says it has plans to support the feature with its F-150 Lightning and E-Transit cars as well. More details on compatibility from Ford:
- 2022 Model Year (MY)
- 2021 MY with the following SYNC®** software versions (see Checking Your SYNC 4A Software Version):
- 21281_PRODUCT.244
- 22028_PRODUCT.358
- 22034_PRODUCT.364
Ford notes that 2021 Mustang Mach-Es with different software versions will receive this feature later in 2022. The company also points out that the battery level in Apple Maps will only update when the iPhone connects to the Mach-E through CarPlay:
Ford worked with Apple to develop communications between the vehicle and the Apple device. However, the battery level will only update when the Apple device connects to the Mustang Mach-E through CarPlay.
You can learn more about this new feature on Ford’s website right now. As it stands today, Ford and select BMW cars are the only makes to support Apple Maps EV routing. Because the feature requires CarPlay, we don’t expect it to come to Teslas.
Thanks, Khaos!
Author: Chance Miller
Source: 9TO5Google
