It’s reported that Ford is considering removing the automatic park feature, known as Active Park Assist, from its future models. Kumar Galhotra, the company’s COO, mentioned in a conference call that very few people use the parallel parking assistance feature, and thus, they could eliminate it to save costs.

Potential savings of $10 million

Galhotra stated that the feature costs approximately $60 per vehicle, and this change could save Ford $10 million annually. While this decision may seem like part of Ford’s cost-cutting efforts, it raises concerns among users.

Especially considering the difficulties drivers who rely on Active Park Assist may face when wanting to use this feature at night or in heavy traffic, it’s understandable why this decision is causing worry. While it’s uncertain if Ford plans to remove this feature from existing vehicles, such changes are seen as worrying for customers.

Discussion sparked

Particularly with the risk of features quietly disappearing with over-the-air updates in modern connected vehicles, users need to be vigilant about such changes. Additionally, Ford’s intention to remove useful features like Active Park Assist has sparked a debate in the industry.

It’s unclear if similar trends will be adopted by other automakers in the future. This situation highlights the importance for users to understand how their reliance on server-dependent features could be impacted as usage declines.

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