Tesla Earns Top 4 Most American-Made Car Spots

In the past, Tesla has been lauded for its cars being mostly made in the U.S., but a new index has taken this detail one step further. Now, the entire Tesla lineup has taken over the top four spots as the most American-made vehicles, according to new data on the topic.

Above: Tesla's Model Y, X, 3 and S, left to right (Image: Casey Murphy / EVANNEX).

The updated 2023 American-made Index from Cars.com has named Tesla’s four electric vehicle models the most made-in-American automobiles out there, as recently detailed by Axios. Out of 10 vehicles total listed in the index, the Tesla Model Y, 3, X and S have earned the top four spots, in that order.

According to a recent survey from Cars.com, about 39 percent of buyers will "devote significant time to researching where a large purchase is manufactured or headquartered," including cars and other automobiles. Not only does U.S. production create jobs for Americans, but it also leverages the country’s emerging EV sector against that of China, which many are pointing to as the global leader in producing raw materials for EV batteries and EV production overall.

Following the Model Y, 3, X and S were the Honda Passport and the Volkswagen ID.4 in fifth and sixth place. Making up the rest of the top 10 most American-made cars were the Honda Odyssey, the Acura MDX, the Honda, Ridgeline and the Acura RDX, in that order.

As for the index’s methodology, the vehicles must first and foremost have been assembled in the U.S. Most of Tesla’s vehicles are produced at its Gigafactories in Fremont, California and the more-recently built facility in Austin, Texas. The automaker also has a battery factory in Sparks, Nevada.

While the publication doesn’t share specific details on the factor, the index also requires automobiles to surpass certain sales thresholds to qualify for inclusion. Other factors including the location of components built were also taken into consideration.

Cars.com also looked at where specific components such as engines, transmissions and other parts were built, also looking at how these workforces affect the U.S. economy overall. This part of the index looked at the whole span of workers involved in manufacturing these components, from engineers designing the products to factory workers participating in their assembly.

"Basically 100% of the vehicles they sell here are made here," said Aaron Bragman, Cars.com Detroit bureau chief, on Tesla’s manufacturing. "It's an unusual situation for any automaker."

Tesla’s commitment to U.S.-based supply chains have been turning heads in the auto industry for years now. The company has also pushed other automakers to construct battery factories in the U.S. in recent years, expected to continue bolstering U.S. manufacturing of necessary EV components.

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