Ford Suddenly Charges Drivers Extra For A Signature Mach-E Feature

It may not feel like it, but the Ford Mustang Mach-E has become a bit of an elder statesman in the electric crossover segment. Ford first unveiled this ambitious EV that controversially borrowed the Mustang’s name in 2019 and, in the years since, has given the now-familiar Mach-E some minor tweaks, including the addition of an exciting, rally-focused performance model for 2024. 

The latest change that Ford’s given the Mach-E, though, feels like more of a head-scratcher or, for lack of a better word, a cash grab. It doesn’t involve adding a new feature to the car, but rather taking one away and charging buyers extra if they’d like it back. For 2026, the Mustang Mach-E’s formerly standard front cargo compartment, better known as a “frunk,” is now a separate option that will set buyers back an extra $495. 

Yes, this is a relatively small change in the context of a car that starts at nearly $40,000, but removing any formerly standard feature (without an equivalent price drop) and then charging extra for it is generally not something that buyers appreciate. But Ford is justifying the move by arguing that few buyers were actually using the Mach-E’s frunk in the first place.

There are a lots valid arguments that could be used against electric vehicles when comparing them to gas cars, but even the most dedicated EV critics would have to admit that the availability of a frunk is one of the best benefits of an electric vehicle. Not every single EV on the market has a frunk, but many use their lack of an engine to turn their underhood areas into an extra cargo compartment — as the name suggests, a front trunk.

Every Tesla currently on sale has a frunk, and Ford’s own F-150 Lightning has a massive “Mega Power Frunk” where its engine would be. Though not nearly as large as the Lightning’s frunk, the Mach-E has always had extra cargo space up front, and we listed this frunk as one of the Mach-E’s 10 coolest features back in 2022. Ford even filled a Mach-E’s frunk with shrimp and buffalo wings for a 2020 publicity stunt.

Adding extra cargo space without impeding on the cabin seems like it’d be a win-win and a popular feature. But Ford found that Mach-E buyers were not using their frunks nearly as much as expected. According to Ford, this spurred the decision to change the frunk from a standard feature to a standalone extra on the options sheet.

There wouldn’t be any issue with this move if Ford simply dropped the Mach-E’s price by $495 while making the frunk a $495 option, but that’s not quite how Ford is going about it. While Ford did drop Mach-E prices slightly for 2026, adding the frunk as an option on the base RWD 2026 Mach-E makes it around $350 more expensive than the identical 2025 model. In a similar move to the frunk change, Ford has also removed the 2026 Mach-E Rally’s standard rear spoiler and made it a standalone option.

Are these changes likely to have a big impact on Mach-E demand on their own? Probably not, given that many buyers are already conditioned to expect car prices that creep up each year. But our reviews have shown that the Mach-E lags behind its competition in terms of value, and these price bumps certainly won’t help its case there.

With the Mach-E’s relatively old age, it was once thought this EV would be due for a new generation, or at least a significant refresh by 2026, but industry reports suggest it could be a while longer before Ford redesigns the Mach-E. Instead, it’s said that Ford will continue working on the current platform to cut costs and increase profitability — and these small but notable equipment moves seem to back up that pivot.