The Ford Ranger, which was no. 1 in 2020, dropped to no. 16 due to a reduction in US/Canadian content from 70 percent to 45 percent. In the second spot is the Chevy Corvette Stingray. In the third position is the Tesla Model 3. Ford’s newly-released Bronco comes in at the fourth position. Ford’s Expedition, GM’s gas engine-equipped Canyon and Colorado Pickups, and Tesla’s Model S and Y are fifth. The diesel engine-equipped versions of the Canyon and Colorado come in at no. 22 thanks to a foreign-sourced (Thailand) engine. Jeep places three models of the popular Cherokee at no. 6, while the automatic transmission version of the Chevy Camaro comes in at no. 7 (the manual transmission-equipped Camaro comes in at no. 17 due to a foreign-sourced transmission from Mexico). The Ford F-150 and the Tesla Model X share the no. 8 spot in the ranking. Honda places four cars in the no. 9 spot—the Ridgeline, Odyssey, Pilot, and Passport. Another pickup, the Ram 1500, shares the 10th position with two more Mustangs—the automatic 5.0 liter and the 2.3 liter Ecoboost version. The top-ranked Mustang boasts 88.5 percent domestic content compared to 76 percent for the 10th-ranked cars.
Comparing total domestic content for all vehicles sold in the US by brand, irrespective of the location of assembly, results in the following table, which shows the relationship between total domestic content (TDC) for US-assembled vehicles compared to all vehicles in a manufacturer’s product line sold in the US. Honda, GM, Ford, and FCA, for example, average much higher overall TDC than VW and Volvo. This gives an idea of the extent to which manufacturers serve the US market with local production.
When looking at average TDC by manufacturers for cars assembled in the US, one finds a high of GM and Ford at over 70 percent and FCA, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler at 65-70 percent. BMW and Volvo reach a low at 35 and 30 percent, respectively. Tesla, which is not in the table, makes all of its cars in the US and has an average TDC of 81 percent. While the trend TDC for cars assembled in the US is consistent over time, both Daimler and Subaru saw significant drops in their average US content. This may be the result of US shortages of parts and components as the impacts of the covid pandemic created significant disruptions in automotive supply chains.
2021 Results
When comparing the difference between total TDC for US-assembled cars and overall average TDC for all cars, it indicates the extent that the manufacturer serves the US market from a local base. In the case of non-US-headquartered manufacturers, Honda boasts a strong lead in this category, with overall TDC ranking a close second to GM. Toyota, even though it has a huge manufacturing presence in the US, has a much lower overall TDC average when their imported vehicles are averaged into the total. This is likely the result of imports of their high-end Lexus brand and other cars from Japan. In contrast, Honda’s high-end brand, Acura, is assembled in the US.