The Tesla Model 3 Is The Most “American-Made” Car

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• The Tesla took the spot held by the Ford Ranger last year.

• The Model Y came in third, behind only the Ford Mustang.

• The American-Made Index dates back to 2006.

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As most car shoppers consider “American-made” an important shopping criterion, this list carries a fair amount of weight. These vehicles are ranked based on content under the American Automobile Labeling Act. It determines whether parts are considered domestic or foreign, thus helping establish how “American-made” a vehicle is. For 2021, Tesla comes out on top.

Most consumers automatically assume that Ford, GM, and Dodge (for example, from Stellantis) are all completely American. The fact is that the auto business is a global industry and that many American car company branded vehicles are not all that American.

Although Tesla is an American company, few understood how true this was. In fact, Tesla has only made the list over the last two years as they’d previously not provided sufficient information.

“Although we judge models on an individual basis, it’s worth noting that Tesla is the only major automaker to claim 100% domestic production for all cars it sells in the U.S., well above the industry’s roughly 52% average for the 2021 model year,” Kelsey Mays, assistant managing editor for Cars.com, said in answer to a Detroit Free Press question.

Here are Cars.com’s Top 10 2021 American-Made Index, including assembly location as well as 2020 ranking:

1. Tesla Model 3: Fremont, California (4)

2. Ford Mustang: Flat Rock, Michigan (34)

3. Tesla Model Y: Fremont (unranked)

4. Jeep Cherokee: Belvidere, Illinois (2)

5. Chevrolet Corvette: Bowling Green, Kentucky (8)

6. Honda Ridgeline: Lincoln, Alabama (6)

7. Honda Odyssey: Lincoln (5)

8. Honda Pilot: Lincoln (13)

9. Honda Passport: Lincoln (7)

10. Toyota Tundra: San Antonio, Texas (16)