You’d assume boot space comes free when you purchase a new car, but a recent report by Car And Driver in the United States has uncovered Ford USA adding the front trunk – or frunk – as a $495 option for 2026 Mustang Mach-E buyers.

According to Car And Driver, the ‘Exterior Option’ as it is called, costs $495USD and is an option that needs to be ticked when buyers first order the Mach-E. This extra cost option is new for the 2026 model year, with any existing stock featuring the frunk as standard equipment.

The frunk now sits alongside other exterior options like splash guards, bumper protectors, a tyre inflation kit, a wheel-lock kit, and a front registration plate bracket. Ford isn’t the first manufacture to try this, let’s call it interesting, approach to options, with BMW previously copping heavy criticism for charging a monthly fee to use the heated seats that were already fitted to the vehicle.

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Given the ease with which car companies can apply this methodology to electric vehicles, it’s a legitimate concern for new car buyers, worried that they might in fact have other pay to unlock a whole host of features, previously taken for granted as being standard equipment. Or that a manufacturer could turn them off and make them unavailable.

WhichCar by Wheels can report some good news for Australian Mach-E fans after speaking to Ford Australia, however.

“Australian MY26 Mustang Mach-E vehicles are not affected by this US specification change,” Product Communications Manager Ben Nightingale told WhichCar by Wheels. “All Australian cars come standard with the frunk.”

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