Tesla's vehicles received a new honor on Tuesday when Cars.com announced that the electric vehicle manufacturer had topped its index of American-made vehicles for the second year in a row. Tesla's Model Y compact SUV topped the list, with its Model 3 compact sedan coming in second.
The Tesla Model Y has a curvy design, which means there aren't many straight lines on the vehicle.
It has the identical wheelbase to the popular Tesla Model 3, and the Model 3 and Model Y look almost identical from the front, with the same headlights and nose.
The results, which represented 95 vehicles manufactured in the U.S. during the calendar year 2021, placed Honda and Tesla in the top ten more frequently than other automakers such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
According to the study, a growing number of Americans are interested in purchasing fully electric or hybrid vehicles, and many want them to be built in the U.S.
The primary ranking of the study determined which specific models are the most American-made by equally weighing the national origin of their engine, transmission, and parts content, as well as their assembly locations and factory job numbers.
The Tesla Model Y was the most American vehicle in 2021, followed by the Tesla Model 3. The Lincoln Corsair took third place, followed by two additional Teslas, the Model X and S.
The Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid SUV is third on Cars.com's list, followed by the Honda Passport midsized SUV. The top six cars were rounded out by Tesla's Model X SUV and Model S sedan. The American Made Index is based on data such as where cars are assembled, where parts are sourced via the American Automobile Labeling Act, and factory employment.
While the goal of Cars.com's list is to highlight American manufacturing, Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Jenni Newman pointed out that EVs and hybrid vehicles dominated the top spots during a period of economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's war against Ukraine.
The survey results highlight yet another way in which Elon Musk's Tesla, headquartered in Austin, Texas, stands out in the auto industry. The company's vehicles have largely been credited with popularizing EVs around the world, prompting other automakers to respond by offering more hybrid-electric and fully electric vehicles.
According to Cars.com, shoppers are pushing for even more, with a 21% increase in car shoppers considering an electric or hybrid vehicle over the previous year. "The real story here is a preference for American-made vehicles," the publication stated.
