Ford Mustang Sales Jump 50% as Mach-E Crashes in January 2026

In January 2026, Ford sold 3,609 Mustangs, a jump of +50.4% compared to January 2025. The Mustang Mach-E, on the other hand, cratered to 1,040 units over the same period, a 70.5% drop after the end of federal tax incentives. And meanwhile, Ford decided to charge $495 for the Mach-E 2026's frunk.

"Ford managed to sell 4,313 traditional Mustangs in February, bringing the total for the year so far to 7,922... up by 54.5% for the month" — CarBuzz, February 2026

The Classic Mustang Finds Its Groove Again

The rebound is real, even if the numbers are still well below historic highs. In 2019, Ford sold 72,000 Mustangs annually in the US. In 2015, at the launch of the S550 generation, it was 122,000 units. And in 2006, a record year, the 166,530 mark was crossed. We're a long way from that.

What happened in 2025 illustrates the model's volatility. A catastrophic start (-31.6% in Q1), a slight improvement in Q2 (+3.2%), then a 10% slump in Q3. It was Q4 that saved the year: 12,515 Mustangs sold in three months, a +66.5% surge. The annual result: +3.0% in 2025, after a tough 2024 (-10.1% deficit before the final recovery).

The Mach-E Pays the Price for Lost Federal Subsidies

The contrast with the electric SUV is brutal. The Mach-E had actually managed to outsell the gas-powered Mustang in volume during 2024 and 2025. In January 2026, the EV sold 3.4 times less than the classic Mustang: 1,040 units versus 3,609. The end of the US federal tax credit explains most of this 70.5% drop.

This is the classic problem with heavily subsidized electric vehicles: when the aid disappears, demand evaporates with it. The Mach-E isn't alone in this, but the brutality of the fall (-70.5% in one month) is dizzying. For 2026, the SUV will have to convince without a safety net.

What's the Price of the 2026 Mach-E?

The 2026 Mach-E starts at $39,840 for the base RWD Select trim, destination included. That's slightly less than the 2025 model ($39,990 with equivalent equipment), but the comparison ends there. Because you now have to add $495 for a frunk, bringing the total to $40,335 — more expensive than before for identical equipment.

The Frunk as a Paid Option: Ford Pushes It Too Far

This is the decision that's rubbing people the wrong way. Since the Mach-E's launch in 2021, the front trunk was standard. In 2024, adding a heat pump already halved its volume: from 4.7 cubic feet (about 133 liters) to 2.6 cubic feet (about 74 liters). Now, Ford is outright removing it from the base equipment list and charging $495 to get it back.

The official explanation comes from Teddy Ankeny, Mach-E brand manager at Ford, in a YouTube video: "We were learning that customers were using their frunk, but perhaps not as much as we had originally intended. And so, in order to kind of preserve that customer choice, we have made it optional for the 2026 model year."

"Preserving customer choice" by taking away something that was free is an audacious way to put it. Technically, the base price dropped by $150. In practice, the buyer pays more for the same equipment level as in 2025. It's a familiar mechanism — BMW tried the same with heated seats as a subscription, with the result we all know.