Tesla’s cars received a new accolade Tuesday as shopping marketplace Cars.com said the electric vehicle maker topped its index of American-made cars for the second year in a row. Tesla’s Model Y compact SUV made the top of the list, followed by its Model 3 compact sedan in the second spot.
Third on Cars.com’s list is the Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid SUV, followed by the Honda Passport midsized SUV. Tesla’s Model X SUV and Model S sedan rounded out the top six cars. The American Made Index is based on data including where the cars are assembled, parts sourcing through the American Automobile Labeling Act and factory employment.
While the point of Cars.com’s list is to highlight American manufacturing, Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Jenni Newman noted that EVs and hybrid vehicles made up most of the top spots at a time of economic turmoil, spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“That Tesla — an American-made all-electric make — appears frequently and high up on the list may indicate a coming alignment of market forces that could really explode once we break through microchip supply chain issues, especially if gas prices remain historically high,” she said in a statement.
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The survey results mark another way that Elon Musk’s Tesla, which has its headquarters in Austin, Texas, stands out in the car industry. The company’s cars have largely been credited with helping popularize EVs around the globe, pushing other car makers to offer more hybrid-electric and fully electric vehicles in response. Cars.com said shoppers are pushing for even more, noting that car shoppers considering an electric or hybrid vehicle jumped 21% from last year.
The survey also found increasing interest among Americans to buy cars that are made in the USA. Cars.com reported that 40% of shoppers said that buying a vehicle built in America is “more important to them,” a figure that jumped 22% from last year. “Preference for American-made vehicles is the real story here,” the publication said.
