Tesla Cybertruck Officially the Most American-Made Pickup Truck

Many people in the US have the misconception that Tesla is a maker of Chinese electric vehicles based solely on the fact that it operates a Chinese gigafactory. This couldn't be further from the truth, as Tesla is an American company that usually produces its cars close to their point of sale. Even though this is not always possible, either because there is no production facility for a particular model in specific regions, the big picture still shows Tesla as a highly locally integrated manufacturer.

Not only that but as more American carmakers started importing parts or even complete vehicles from around the world, their American-ness started to wane. Detroit Three, for instance, had no model among the first 10 in 2023 Cars.com's American-made Index, despite operating car manufacturing plants in the US and other North American countries. That's because not only the final production place counts but many other factors, including the percentage of US and Canadian parts, countries of origin for all available powertrains, and the use of US manufacturing force.

Tesla, on the other hand, has been consistently among the most American carmakers for the past three years since its production caught up. In 2020, The Model S and Model 3 ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the American-made index. Back then, the Ford Ranger and Jeep Cherokee led the listing. The Model 3 took the top spot in 2021, with the Model Y in the third position. In 2022, the Model Y surpassed the Model 3, while the Model X also got the Top 5. Finally, in 2023, all four Tesla S3XY models were the most American-made vehicles.

It looks like the Cybertruck will also feel comfortable in next year's American-made Index. A recent video on the UTECHPIA YouTube channel discusses the Cybertruck's Monroney sticker. This shows that Tesla's electric pickup has 90% North American parts, with 65% of them coming from the US and Canada and 25% from Mexico. The final assembly, as well as the assembly of motors and gearbox/transmission (legacy designation, as the Cybertruck doesn't feature any), also takes place in Austin, in the US.

Moreover, the same sticker confirms that Cybertruck's battery is assembled in Austin, at Giga Texas. We also know that the battery cells are also manufactured in Austin, although we know less about the minerals and other battery components. It's safe to assume that Cybertruck will qualify for the IRA tax credit once it has a price below $80,000. Tesla's website states that this is likely to happen later in 2024.

To put things into perspective, Tesla's Cybertruck main rival, the Ford F-150 Lightning, ranked 38th in the 2023 American-made index. It has only 38% of its parts sourced from the US and Canada, while the ICE F-150 is even less American, with 30% US/Canada components. The Rivian R1T is not on this list because it doesn't have a variant with a GVWR under 8,500 pounds and is, therefore, not required to comply with American Automobile Labeling Act reporting.