Legacy automaker Ford (F) has a clear commitment to the “no boring cars” concept. While some might think this commitment is perhaps too substantial, and is actually shooting Ford in the foot, the commitment is still there. And Ford also made it clear that access to Apple’s (AAPL) CarPlay tool is not going away either. This proved unexpectedly grating to investors, who registered mild displeasure, sending Ford shares down fractionally in the closing minutes of Tuesday’s trading.
Claim 70% Off TipRanks This Holiday Season
- Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions
- Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential
Chief financial officer Sherry House offered the show of support while at the 2025 Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference, after being asked about Ford’s technology roadmap going forward. And Ford’s show of support was surprisingly welcome, especially given that one of its biggest rivals, General Motors (GM), reportedly fielded plans to cut off CarPlay altogether.
House noted that not only was CarPlay sticking around, but Ford was also bringing in Gemini as soon as it was available. Ford also plans to keep developing “native apps” for the system, which seems to be working already. House noted that engagement levels were up “…about 20 points…,” and that Ford was going to stick with what was clearly working quite well for it.
A Flock of Fords
The concept of caravans is nothing specifically new, but Ford may have a new tool in mind for a group of Ford vehicles traveling together. A new patent for “adaptive guidance” has emerged, and may represent an exciting new development for group travel.
The patent includes the ability to offer lists of tours of different sites, the ability to collect media for road trips, and a “predictive navigation system” that can, reports suggest, suggest new points of interest along a current route. The system also allows users to more readily spot drivers who have a similar driving style, to allow the drivers to follow accordingly. This is actually part of a wider development in which Ford is gathering patents for technologies that could be especially useful as part of road trips.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, 10 Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 34.14% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $13.27 per share implies 0.19% downside risk.
