Many forget that Tesla is an American automaker, but now that has been made clear since the California-based automaker is dominating the 2020 American-Made Index with 3 vehicles in the top ten.
Cars.com has an annual American-Made Index(AMI), which they describe as “an independent annual list that ranks the new vehicles that contribute most to the U.S. economy based on criteria ranging from U.S. factory jobs and manufacturing plants to parts sourcing.”
Kelsey Mays, Cars.com’s senior consumer affairs and vehicle evaluations editor, said about the AMI:
“This marks the 15th year we have released the American-Made Index, and for the first time, we are ranking a full, comprehensive list of qualifying American-made cars available in the U.S. Of some 350 cars on the market for 2020, 91 models qualified for our index. The auto industry is highly globalized, but these 91 models bring jobs to America and investments to our local communities — a growing concern for Americans in the current climate.”
Tesla wasn’t included last year, but this year, they are dominating.
The Ford Ranger made the top of the list, but Tesla has 3 different vehicles in the top 10:
| Rank | Make/Model | U.S. Assembly Plant Location(s) |
| 1. | Ford Ranger | Wayne, Mich. |
| 2. | Jeep Cherokee | Belvidere, Ill. |
| 3. | Tesla Model S | Fremont, Calif. |
| 4. | Tesla Model 3 | Fremont, Calif. |
| 5. | Honda Odyssey | Lincoln, Ala. |
| 6. | Honda Ridgeline | Lincoln, Ala. |
| 7. | Honda Passport | Lincoln, Ala. |
| 8. | Chevrolet Corvette | Bowling Green, Ky. |
| 9. | Tesla Model X | Fremont, Calif. |
| 10. | Chevrolet Colorado | Wentzville, Mo. |
Electrek’s Take
I am curious to know how Model S is ranking higher than Model 3.
Battery cells account for such a big part of electric cars in both value and weight, and the Model S batteries are imported while the Model 3 battery cells are made in Nevada.
I would think that this would be a big difference but not enough for the AMI apparently.
But what I find most interesting is that people really don’t know where Tesla vehicles are coming from.
The report says that only 18% knew they were made in California. At least, it’s improving:
“Additionally, Americans are twice as likely to recognize Tesla as a California-made vehicle compared to last year (10% in 2019 vs. 18% in 2020).”
Ultimately, I think the Cybertruck made in Texas will make a big difference on that front. It’s kind of silly since Tesla vehicles are already some of the most American-made cars right now, but the perception needs to catch up.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
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