Ford launches AI assistant in mobile app; in-car version slated for 2027

Ford is beginning to roll out an AI-driven assistant through the Ford and Lincoln mobile applications. The assistant can answer vehicle-specific queries such as fuel level, tire pressure, towing capacity, cargo volume and projected maintenance needs. Linked to the car’s telemetry, it knows the exact specifications of each model, and owners may upload photos to verify whether a vehicle can carry or tow a particular load. Ford targets 8 million vehicle owners to receive access in phases.

Mike Organ, president of Integrated Services at Ford, explained in a company blog post that launching in the app lets the company reach customers immediately, without waiting for an over-the-air software update or a new model purchase. The assistant draws answers from the owner’s manual and provides live updates from the vehicle’s systems. Organ said the “real magic” will arrive when the system moves from phone-mirroring solutions such as CarPlay or Android Auto to intelligence embedded directly in the dashboard experience.

The announcement comes as rivals accelerate AI integration. Rivian and Mercedes-Benz have already launched their own voice assistants; BMW is partnering with Amazon’s Alexa; General Motors is using Google’s Gemini, and Volvo and Polestar, which run Google’s built-in OS, will also receive Gemini. Earlier this year Ford said its assistant is designed to be “agnostic to chatbots,” meaning it can work with a range of large language models, and will initially offer Gemini as an opt-in alternative to Google Assistant.

For now, the Ford and Lincoln Digital Experiences platform, built on Android, will provide Gemini for navigation, messaging and media. The longer-term vision merges vehicle-specific requests (fuel, towing, maintenance) with entertainment and information queries, letting owners craft a customized system. A fully integrated, in-car voice assistant is scheduled for 2027 and will require deep integration into the vehicle’s operating system rather than a simple OTA update.

Ford says the service will be free at launch, with no paywall or subscription. The company did not commit to keeping it free once the assistant is embedded in the vehicle OS, leaving open the question of whether the service will remain free for the projected 8 million users.