Cars.com announced the vehicles topping the charts of its 2022 American-Made Index (AMI), an annual independent ranking of vehicle makes and models creating the greatest impact on the U.S. economy through factory jobs, manufacturing plants and parts sourcing. For the second consecutive year, Austin, Texas-based Tesla claims the title of most American-made, this time with the Model Y. Tesla now owns the top two spots in the Index, with the Model 3 — last year’s chart-topper — coming in second.
Tesla landed two additional mentions in the top 10 with the Model X at No. 5 and Model S at No. 6, and Tokyo-based automaker Honda matched Tesla’s top 10 showing with four of its own models: the Passport placed fourth, and the Ridgeline, Odyssey and Pilot took the final three spots in the top 10. The other two top AMI performers were the Detroit-based, Ford-owned Lincoln Corsair at No. 3, which jumped more than 60 places from its 2021 ranking, and Hoofddorp, Netherlands-based Stellantis’ Jeep Cherokee, an AMI mainstay, in the No. 7 spot.
“The composition of this year’s much-anticipated American-Made Index is particularly interesting in the context of our current marketplace, where high gas prices and scarce inventory meet peak consumer interest in electric vehicles and a heightened demand for American-made products,” said Jenni Newman, Cars.com editor-in-chief. “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. It also bodes well for other OEMs, including Honda, Ford and GM, working to diversify product lines with more EV and hybrid options.”
What Matters More in 2022? Affordable, Electric, American
A recent Cars.com consumer survey found that year over year, affordability increased 15% as the most important attribute for car shoppers, and those considering an electric or hybrid vehicle also saw a double-digit bump, up 21% from 2021. However, preference for American-made vehicles is the real story here; because of the pandemic, 40% of car shoppers say that buying a car built in America is now more important to them, up 22% year-over-year.1
The 2022 AMI Contenders
This year, of the 379 vehicles available in the U.S. auto market, 95 made the index, with sourcing, production and assembly occurring primarily in Michigan (15%), Ohio (12%), Indiana (12%), Alabama (12%) and Tennessee (11%). Though Tesla models fulfill AMI criteria at higher levels than the competition, down the line, automakers GM, Honda, Toyota and Ford dominate the list, representing 19%, 14%, 12% and 12% of all included models, respectively.
| Rank | Make/Model | U.S. Assembly Location |
| 1. | Tesla Model Y | Fremont, Calif. Austin, Texas |
| 2. | Tesla Model 3 | Fremont, Calif. |
| 3. | Lincoln Corsair | Louisville, Ky. |
| 4. | Honda Passport | Lincoln, Ala. |
| 5. | Tesla Model X | Fremont, Calif. |
| 6. | Tesla Model S | Fremont, Calif. |
| 7. | Jeep Cherokee | Belvidere, Ill. |
| 8. | Honda Ridgeline | Lincoln, Ala. |
| 9. | Honda Odyssey | Lincoln, Ala. |
| 10. | Honda Pilot | Lincoln, Ala. |
11. Chevy Corvette. 12. GMC Canyon 13.Chevy Colorado, 14. Acura MDX, 15. Acura RDX, 16. Ford Ranger, 17. Ford Bronco, 18. Dodge Durango, 19. Ford Expedition.
244 models are entirely imported; 121 models are entirely built in the U.S.; and 14 models are both, with some sales from American-built models and some from imports. The latter two groups are AMI-eligible.
The study notes that the Ford Mustang Mach-e and Ford Maverick are made in Mexico. The Buick Enclave is made in Michigan but the rest of the models are made in China or South Korea. The Dodge Challenger and Charger are made in Canada.
Share of U.S. Light-Duty Sales From Domestic Assembly, 2022 Model Year
- Tesla Inc. (Tesla): 100.0%
- Stellantis NV (Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Ram): 72.3%
- Ford Motor Co. (Ford, Lincoln): 70.8%
- Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (Acura, Honda): 69.4%
- Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance (Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Nissan): 56.0%
- General Motors Co. (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC): 55.8%
- Subaru Corp. (Subaru): 54.7%
- BMW AG (BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce): 52.8%
- Toyota Motor Corp. (Lexus, Toyota): 47.5%
- Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz): 41.0%
- Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. (Genesis, Hyundai, Kia): 40.1%
- Volkswagen AG (Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen): 18.7%
- Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. (Lotus, Polestar, Volvo): 5.7%
- Ferrari NV (Ferrari): 0.0%
- Mazda Motor Corp. (Mazda): 0.0%
- McLaren Group Ltd. (McLaren): 0.0%
- Tata Motors Ltd. (Jaguar, Land Rover): 0.0%