Ford has dramatically increased the price of its entry-level Mustang Mach-E by more than £6,000. The brand, which now lists the base standard range RWD model at £47,530 has blamed the price hike on a sharp increase in material and energy costs. 

Since launch, Ford has struggled to meet customer demand for the Mach-E and has temporarily suspended orders for the car in the US. While order books remain open in the UK for now, Ford is quoting 32 weeks for delivery for all Mustang models. 

Ford has highlighted the rising cost of steel and battery components as some of the reasons for the significant increase in production costs. Like the rest of the automotive industry, Ford has been hit hard by the global shortage of semi-conductors (microchips) and the increase in wholesale battery costs. The brand currently has just two factories building the Mach-E, one on China that builds cars solely for the domestic market, an a plant in Mexico which serves the rest of the world. Despite attempts to triple production to 200,000 units a year, global demand for the Mach-E is currently running at a much higher level. 

The price increase sees the entry-level Standard range RWD model rise from £41,330 to £47,530 while the Extended Range RWD goes up from £49,980 to £52,080. The standard range AWD model now costs £54,100 (up from £46,650) while the Extended range AWD model goes from £57,030 to £61,480. The range-topping GT model rises from £67,225 to £68,030. 

Even range-topping Mach-E GT has been hit with a price rise