Is the now 61-year-old gas-powered Mustang still relevant in 2025? American drivers clearly think so, judging by fresh sales figures. The pony car Ford has been building since the Beatles were still together is now going toe to toe with the company’s entire electric lineup in a race that’s closer than a Z28 vs Boss 302 quarter-mile grudge match.

Related: Someone Paid New Porsche 911 Money For A 1992 Mustang Still Wrapped In Plastic

According to Ford’s newly released November sales report, the gas-powered Mustang racked up 4,207 sales while Ford’s three EVs combined only reached 4,247. That is a margin of only forty cars.

Mustang sales exploded by 78.6 percent compared with the previous November’s stats, while the EVs lost almost as much ground.

What Happened to the EVs?

Mach-E plunged almost 50 percent to 3,014 units, the F 150 Lightning cratered 72 percent to just 1,006, and the poor E Transit dropped more than 80 percent to 227, figures no doubt deeply affected by the loss of federal tax credits, which expired at the end of September.

To be fair to the EVs, the comparison is more embarrassing in the short term than across the whole year. Year to date, Ford EVs have achieved 78,556 sales while the Mustang trails at 40,870.

Even so, the electric lineup is down 7.3 percent compared with the same period last year, while the Mustang held relatively steady, falling by a less worrying 1.6 percent.

But US drivers didn’t snub their noses at electrification entirely. Hybrid sales climbed 13.6 percent to 16,301 units in November and are up 19.4 percent to 206,497. That means Ford has sold three times as many hybrids so far during 2025 as it has EVs.

Any Bright Spots Beyond the Mustang?

Looking beyond the gas versus electrons drama, there were a few standout performers. Explorer lit up the SUV side with a huge 41.5 percent November gain and nearly 20,226 sales despite celebrating its sixth birthday this year.

The Ranger also punched well above its weight with a 35.8 percent jump as the midsize truck continues its comeback.

The Maverick is another star performer. Its sales are up 43.3 percent for the month and nearly 12 percent for the year. On the Lincoln side, things were less happy, with November brand sales dropping 12.3 percent, although the Navigator is up 42.9 percent in the first 11 months of 2025.

Ford and Lincoln sales 2025

Ford

It’s been six long years since Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E, its first mainstream electric SUV and a direct challenger to the Tesla Model Y. The model has become an important part of Ford’s global lineup, even if it hasn’t reached the same sales heights as its Californian rival.

However, in Australia, things are looking particularity bleak for the electric pony car.

Read: Ford’s Electric Pony Car Gets A Classic Gas Mustang Package

Ford started selling the Mustang Mach-E in Australia in 2023 and in that time, has managed to sell just 1,113 units. This year, just 380 of them have been sold.

To put those numbers into perspective, Tesla has sold forty-six times more Model Ys this year than Ford has managed with the Mustang Mach-E. The gap is wide enough to make clear that Ford’s electric SUV won’t be troubling Tesla’s dominance anytime soon.

Everything’s Fine

Despite these meek sales, Ford Australia doesn’t seem too bothered. According to Ford’s local marketing director Ambrose Henderson, the Mach-E is different than its competitors and has been made all the more appealing thanks to recent upgrades.

“The Mach-E is something that is iconic and clearly different from most of the other EVs in the market,” Henderson told Drive.

“The market’s immensely competitive. We think, with the updates that we’ve made in terms of design, technology and the drive feel and dynamics, that it will resonate with customers. We’re really excited about what that will do going forward.”

He added that Ford’s intent was never to produce another anonymous, efficiency-shaped crossover. “There are a lot of aerodynamically designed white boxes on the road that are EVs, right? And that’s not us. That is not what we wanted to deliver. We wanted something that was authentic and really leverages off what is a global icon with Mustang,” he explained.

A Real Mustang Alternative?

According to Henderson, the Mustang Mach-E wasn’t necessarily created to chase huge volumes, but rather engineered as a compelling electric alternative to the V8-powered Mustang. According to him, the Mach-E “delivers the same excitement, the same emotion, same thrill of the drive, and the same sort of design,” as the pony car.

Of course, if you ask any car enthusiast if they’d rather drive a Mustang GT or Mustang Mach-E up a mountain pass, or along a coastal road, we suspect the vast majority would opt for the ICE model. While the Mach-E is good, few would consider it to be the same kind of sports car.

Who Is It For?

Interestingly, Henderson also hesitates to position it as a family vehicle. “The primary audience is couples, just from a demographic and opportunity perspective,” he said, suggesting Ford envisions the Mach-E less as a people mover and more as a lifestyle choice for drivers who still want a bit of Mustang spirit, even without the roar.