American Car Brands: Made in America?
A study to determine which vehicle brands and models are “Made in America” was conducted by www.coms.com for 2023.
The parameters of the study include where the vehicle was assembled, parts content, country of origin for the engine and transmission and U.S. manufacturing workforce. The list is confined to the criteria of light-duty vehicles sold en masse to the public, exempting those weighing more than 8,500 pounds, production models with less than 1,000 units and other marks highlighted on their website.
Topping the charts is Tesla, with its four models ranking 1-4. After that, none of the Big Three American brands, Ford, GM and Stellanti (formerly Fiat Chrysler) made the top 15. It may not come as a surprise to learn Japanese brands, including Honda and Toyota, are more American made than the top American brands.
Globalization reshaped the automotive industry decades ago.
Older generations often associated “Buy American” as a way of directly supporting the U.S. economy, but in many cases, it was false.
For example, since the 1980s, Honda has been manufacturing vehicles, including the transmission and engine, in the United States. Many German automakers, including Mercedes and BMW, followed suit in the 1990s.
For 2023, the highest-rated American-made, midsize pick-up truck is the Honda Ridgeline at 7th with the Toyota Tundra ranking 12th in the full-size pick-up truck category. Of the top 20, nine spots belong to Honda and Acura, two go to Toyota and one each to Volkswagen, Lincoln and Chevrolet.
Electrical vehicles (EVs) will reshape this list over time.
Just as Tesla ranked at the top of the American-made vehicles list, others may soon creep higher on the charts. Volkswagen’s ID.4, in the 6th spot, is the only other EV in the top 20. Originally made in Germany, manufacturing was moved to its Tennessee plant.
Due to the criteria set when the study was done, many EVs were exempted including Rivian, Mercedes, Hummer EV, Lucid and more. Since EVs are less intricate than internal combustion engine vehicles, manufacturing the powertrain should be an easier process with fewer parts to worry about. Some brands are either planning or already underway to retool, expand or construct new facilities to build their EV line-ups.
