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In an unexpected shift in the automotive industry, Tesla, the Texas-based electric vehicle giant, occupies the four top spots in Cars.com's 2023 American-Made Index (AMI).

The AMI, an annual list which aims to identify the most "American-made" vehicles, has seen Tesla consistently securing its spot in the recent years as the most American-made auto brand.

This success can be attributed to Tesla's vertical integration strategy which emphasizes on manufacturing a substantial proportion of its car parts within the US for vehicles produced in North America.

According to the 2023 AMI report, Tesla's vehicles leading the list include Tesla Model Y, Model 3, Model X, and Model S.

Surprisingly, Tesla is the sole American automaker in the top 10 list, with Japanese Acura/Honda holding four positions and the German Volkswagen claiming one with the ID.4.

The consideration for this year's AMI included a review of 388 American-made vehicles, out of which only 100 made the cut.

The ranking showcases an impressive performance for Tesla, as it is the only American manufacturer with the top four vehicles and also the only one among the top 10.

Shaping the Future of American Cars with Electric Vehicles

Another interesting observation from the AMI list is the inclusion of five electric vehicles in the top 10, indicating an opportunity for electric vehicle manufacturers to establish more localized supply chains.

In a bid to encourage this move, the government has recently incentivized battery production through the IRA's requirement that an increasing percentage of batteries be built in North America.

 Unveiling the Most American-Made Vehicles

The criteria used by Cars.com to classify a car as American-made encompasses five factors: the origin of available transmissions and engines, the size of the U.S. manufacturing workforce, the location of final assembly, and the percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts.

Among the 100 vehicles listed, the first American car from the traditional Big Three (Ford, GM or Stellantis) is the Lincoln Corsair, which is in the 16th position.

Notably, the most American-made truck on the list is the Honda Ridgeline, while the most American-made full-size truck is the Toyota Tundra.

In addition, Tesla's scorecard reveals a 100% domestic assembly for U.S. light-duty sales.

 An Insight into Other Automakers and Their Share of U.S. Light-Duty Sales

Apart from Tesla, other automakers showed varying degrees of domestic assembly for U.S. light-duty sales. Ford, Honda, and Stellantis showed 77.5%, 73.1%, and 70.1% respectively. GM, despite having more vehicles on the American-Made Index than any other automaker, represented only 54% of U.S. light-duty sales. Meanwhile, Michigan emerged as the state that produces more vehicles on the list than any other, even though none of the top 20 on the Index are assembled there.

As the composition of American-made vehicles changes, Tesla's dominance on the 2023 AMI reinforces the evolving perception of what constitutes American cars, shifting the focus from traditional automotive giants to more sustainable, electric vehicles.