The 2024 American-Made Index revealed a shift from last year. Most notably, Tesla’s dominance over the list came to an end with only three of its EVs remaining in the top 10. However, even with the news, Tesla remains the USA-made domestic brand without a foreign parent company, like Jeep and Stellantis. 

Tesla, which swept the American-Made Index in 2023, failed to do so among other USA-made vehicles from non-US marques

Every year, Cars.com ranks the vehicles boasting the most USA-made construction on the market. Last year, Tesla swept the list. However, the 2024 results revealed a very different picture.

According to the index, the popular entry-model Tesla, the Model 3 dropped out of the top 10 USA-made vehicles and down to number 21 “due to changes in domestic parts content.” However, the Model Y took the top spot, boasting domestic production sites at Giga Texas in Austin and the Fremont Factory in California. Still, even with the Jeep Gladiator in the top 10, the iconic brand has a foreign parent company in Stellantis.

Fortunately, Cars.com cites an increase in domestic production as part of the reason for the changing of the automotive guard. “Overall, automotive companies are moving more facilities to the U.S. Since 2020, assembly facilities on the index have increased 144%, that’s growing from 93 plants to 105,” said Patrick Masterson, the lead researcher for the index. 

Of course, just because a vehicle brandishes a Ford or GMC badge doesn’t mean its contributions to American manufacturing are stronger than some foreign vehicles. “When it comes to the global automotive industry, the badge on the hood doesn’t always reveal a vehicle’s economic contributions. In fact, 66% of vehicles on Cars.com’s 2024 American-Made Index come from foreign automakers that support communities in Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.”