Report: Tesla Makes The ‘Most American’ Cars – Kelley Blue Book

Five of the 10 “most American” cars are Tesla products, according to a new study. A pair of Teslas – the Model 3 compact sedan and Model Y compact SUV – tied for the title of most American car.

The study comes, appropriately, from American University’s Kogod School of Business. Researchers there measure the percentage of parts originating in the U.S. or Canada in every car sold in the U.S.

No, we don’t know why American University considers Canada part of the U.S.

The Model Y and Model 3 top the rankings, but only in their Long Range trims. Each contains 87.5% “total domestic content,” or TDC. The Model 3 Performance and the base version of the Model Y follow closely at 85%.

A pair of Jeep Cherokee trims – the Altitude Lux and Latitude – follow at 81.5 and 80.

The list reflects 2023 models. It published in 2024 because of a delay in getting some information from government sources.

Domestic Content Dropping, But That Could Reverse Soon

Overall, the school says, the domestic content of cars has been dropping since 2015. “Domestic manufacturers, with more experience in developing North American sourcing strategies since the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, have been more likely to look to Mexican suppliers for many of their parts and components.”

But recent changes to that agreement could reverse the trend. Under the new terms, manufacturers must use a higher percentage of North American steel and aluminum.

The 10 (Okay, 26) Most American Cars

The Kogod School’s Made in America Auto Index looks at trim levels since automakers may source parts for each trim from different countries. Breaking the results down that fine also results in many ties — the top 10 list has 26 models on it.

Where a model doesn’t list trim levels, the survey found no difference between them.

Most automakers today are global companies. They build cars on multiple continents, often far from their headquarters. So “import” automakers and “domestic” automakers tied, each making up half the list.