A new study finds that many of the most American-made cars aren’t made by American automakers. The top four American-made cars are from electric vehicle company Tesla and the next 11 are from Japanese automakers. Here’s a rundown of what cars place in what order.
While some might debate what makes an American car American, this study takes a clear and measurable look at that question. To find the answer it considers five main criteria: assembly location, parts content, engine origin, transmission origin, and U.S. manufacturing workforce. Tesla came away as the clear and obvious winner.
Its four models took home the top four spots and the Model Y took the top spot for the second straight year. Honda models took fifth, seventh, and 9th while its sub-brand Acura snagged eighth and tenth with the MDX and RDX respectively. Volkswagen is the lone German brand in the top 50 with the ID.4 coming in sixth overall.
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For the purposes of this study, “American-made” includes parts from Canada. That’s notable because even with that inclusion, the percentage of these cars that are considered “American-made” might be smaller than you expect.
Cars.com says that “it’s a struggle for most vehicles in 2023 to hit even 60%.” Despite that, the fifth-place Honda Passport comes in with 75 percent of it being American-made. The Teslas above clearly score higher. The Volkswagen ID.4 has some models (but not all) that also hit 75 percent as it’s built in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
2023MY Share of U.S. Light-Duty Vehicle Sales From Domestic Assembly
The study predicts that over time we’ll see a total percentage increase for many models as more electric vehicles get more components from the USA and North America in general. That’s a direct result of factors like the Inflation Reduction Act that limit federal tax incentives for electric cars made outside of North America.
The top 100 cars in the list lack a few notable names like the Rivian R1T, the BMW XM, the Cadillac Lyriq, and the GMC Hummer. Each was disqualified for one reason or another according to Cars.com. It explains a bit more of its methodology without giving away too many specifics in the full article.