Ford Mustang Mach-E hit by price hike as material costs grow

The entry price for the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV has been hiked up by more than £6000, with Ford citing a dramatic increase in material and energy costs. 

The Kia EV6 rival now starts at £47,530, up from its original launch price of £41,330, the change having come into effect on 1 April. 

Ford told Autocar that significant commodity costs and prices of raw materials such as steel and the rising price of energy had contributed to the increase in price. 

It means just one Mustang Mach-E variant, the Standard Range RWD, is priced below £50,000. The Extended Range RWD is now priced from £52,080, up from £49,980.

Top-rung all-wheel drive models haven't escaped the hike. The Standard Range AWD now costs £54,100, up from £46,650, while the Extended Range AWD now costs £61,480, up from £57,030.

The range-topping Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, originally commanding a £67,225 price tag, was less dramatically affected by the increases, now being priced from £68,030. 

Ford told Autocar that strong demand remains for the Mustang Mach-E despite its price increase, with the EV currently commanding a seven-to-eight-month lead time for UK customers. 

Prices of materials and energy have been heavily impacted since the start of the new year, with several car manufacturers feeling the strain. Prices of certain raw materials, which were already on the rise, have recently been driven up further by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Some firms, such as VW, have been impacted by shortages of Ukrainian-produced parts, including wiring harnesses. As a result, some have upped the prices of popular models. Rising energy costs, meanwhile, have driven up factory bills. 

EVs have been hit particularly hard, with valuable resources such as nickel and lithium, both commonly used in EV batteries, growing in price.

Russia is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of other useful metals, such as palladium and platinum.