Ford Motor Co. has slashed the cost of its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving subscription and added a new one-time purchase option.

The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker has been increasing the availability of BlueCruise in its lineup — technology it says can reduce driver fatigue and offer the company recurring revenue and contact with buyers over the life of a vehicle. Automakers have been expanding autonomous driving features on their vehicles for years. BlueCruise operates on 97% of U.S. and Canadian highways.

Upon a vehicle's purchase, customers effective Tuesday will be able to make a one-time payment for access to Blue Cruise without renewal, which has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $2,495. An annual rate of $495 also will be available; it previously had limited availability. This will be standard with a vehicle or available as an option depending on the model trim. These options can be rolled into the financing of a vehicle purchase. The $2,100 three-year subscription has been discontinued starting with the 2025 model year.

Customers who don't opt for BlueCruise at purchase still have access to a 90-day free trial. After that, they can subscribe annually for $495, down from $800, or monthly for $49.99, down from $75.

Current BlueCruise customers with annual and monthly plans will see the price drop reflected on their next payment, according to the automaker.

Ford has been expanding the availability of BlueCruise in its lineup. The subscription in the United States now is available on the Ford Explorer, Expedition and Mustang Mach-E SUVs and the F-150 and F-150 Lightning pickup trucks.

The reduced price of BlueCruise comes as Ford also is offering an additional incentive to electric-vehicle shoppers through the rest of the year: Ford is covering the cost of a home charger and its installation.

Tesla Inc. cut pricing of its supervised full self-driving technology to $99 per month earlier this year. General Motors Co.'s offers its Super Cruise hands-free driving service for $25 per month.

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