Which cars help fuel the American economy? Cars.com releases annual American-made index
Tesla continues to dominate Cars.com’s American-Made Index, with four of its models claiming the top spots on the automotive sales site’s annual ranking.
This year’s index, released Wednesday, ranks new vehicles that contribute to the U.S. economy based on assembly locations, the sourcing of parts and manufacturing jobs. Other automakers in the top 10 spots include Acura, Honda, and Volkswagen.
A recent survey from Cars.com found nearly half (48%) of car shoppers say they will pay more for a vehicle if it creates U.S. jobs. Thirty-eight percent say they would only consider a vehicle from an American manufacturer, and 39% think it is unpatriotic to buy non-American-made cars. The figures are based on responses from over 1,000 people surveyed in May.
"We always assume the whole 'buy American' thing was a very much 1980s, '90s trend. But, quietly, people still maintain a lot of that importance in terms of the things that they're purchasing," said Aaron Bragman, Detroit bureau chief for Cars.com. "It matters to them where the vehicle is made and what impact it has on the local economic situation."
What are the top American-made cars?
This year’s American-Made Index lists the top 100 out of 388 considered vehicles. According to the findings, the top American-made cars for 2023 and their production locations are:
Tesla Model Y: Austin, Texas and Fremont, California
Tesla Model 3: Fremont, California
Tesla Model X: Fremont, California
Tesla Model S: Fremont, California
Honda Passport: Lincoln, Alabama
Volkswagen ID.4: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Honda Odyssey: Lincoln, Alabama
Acura MDX: East Liberty and Marysville, Ohio
Honda Ridgeline: Lincoln, Alabama
Acura RDX: East Liberty, Ohio
Tesla's Model 3 became the first all-electric car to top the index in 2021, and the automaker has remained at the top since.
Bragman credits Tesla's U.S. factories in California and Texas, which assembles its U.S. lineup.
"They were an American company. They started manufacturing here, they started the component manufacturing here as well," Bragman said. "A lot of the stuff that goes into making the Tesla vehicles also comes from local sources in California and in Texas and in Nevada."
What is the American-Made Index?
Cars.com's American-Made Index was first launched in 2006. To assemble the ranking, the index focuses on five factors:
◾ Location of final assembly.
◾ Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts.
◾ Country of origin for available engines.
◾ Country of origin for available transmissions.
◾ U.S. manufacturing employees relative to the automaker’s footprint.
Electric cars getting popular
Between the four Tesla models and the Volkswagen ID.4, half of the top 10 models in this year's index are electric. Cars.com’s survey found 39% of car shoppers say they’re considering an EV as their next car, with another 26% saying they are “maybe” considering purchasing an EV.
The shift comes as the Biden administration aims for half of all vehicles sold in the country to be zero-emissions by 2030, with a focus on expanding American-made vehicles and batteries. Legislation signed last year created strict battery component and sourcing mandates for EV tax credits, and the infrastructure law passed in 2021 includes over $7 billion to make sure U.S. manufacturers can access EV battery components, critical minerals, and materials.
"We're seeing a lot of automakers boosting investment in electric vehicles and electric vehicle components like batteries, motors, things like that, all made in the United States," Bragman said. "So that's driving a lot of investment coming up. And I think that that's going to be very interesting to see how many more electric vehicles appear on the list over the next few years."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tesla models dominate Cars.com's 2023 American-Made Index
