GM is reportedly considering expanding EV production to its existing Ramos Arizpe plant in northern Mexico.
General Motors (GM) and other major American automakers have long had a presence South of the United States. Even now, vehicles like the Chevy Trax, Jeep Compass, and the ever-popular Chevy Silverado are produced en masse across the border in Mexico. Now, the most prominent American auto group is also considering expanding its EV production to Mexico.
The Mexican Economic Ministry announced that GM would be expanding EV production to the country via a tweet showing leaders from both parties discussing it yesterday.
La Sria. de Economía, Raquel Buenrostro, se reunió con General Motors. Informaron que en 2024 su complejo industrial de Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, producirá solo vehículos eléctricos. Anunciaron el incremento de 5 mil empleos, fomentando la inclusión de género en su plantilla. pic.twitter.com/qatRlGLLwO
— Economía México (@SE_mx) January 3, 2023
The first tweet reads:
“The [Economic Minister], Raquel Buenrostro, met with General Motors. They reported that by 2024 their industrial complex in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, will produce only electric vehicles. They announced the increase of 5,000 jobs, promoting the inclusion of gender in their workforce.”
The second tweet clarifies, saying:
“The increase in jobs has been generated during this six-year term in the San Luis Potosí and Ramos Arizpe plants, resulting in a total of 4,500.”
According to the tweet from the Mexican Ministry, the Ramos Arizpe plant will be shifting to 100% EV production this year and aims to begin full production sometime in 2024. This follows news that GM had been increasing its workforce in Mexico by roughly 4,500, according to a clarifying tweet from the Ministry.
Mexico has become a hotspot for EV production over the past few years. Its location near the United States, cheaper labor, and its access to U.S. Federal EV incentives have made it a prime location for new EV production. This has attracted the likes of Ford and Tesla and is likely influencing brands like GM, Hyundai/Kia, and BMW, which already have significant production facilities in the country.
GM nor the Mexican Economic Ministry specified what vehicles the American auto giant would be producing at its revamped production facility, but it’s possible to make an educated prediction.
The Ramos Arizpe plant currently produces the Chevy Equinox and Chevy Blazer ICE vehicles. And coincidently, both of these vehicles will be available as electric models in the coming years. Hence, with the facility’s familiarity with the products and the production date of 2024 matching the introduction date of the two Chevy EV SUVs, it would not be surprising if they were produced at the revamped facility.
GM has not specified if existing ICE vehicle production lines would be halted. Still, with its recent hiring, one would anticipate that it is opening a new production line for strictly EVs.
It is no surprise that the General chose the Ramos Arizpe plant to produce EVs. Mear miles from Monterey, it is within a stone’s throw of the proposed location for the upcoming Tesla plant. And while GM is likely not basing its decision on its competition’s new location, both automakers have probably been lured to the site not only for the aforementioned cheaper labor and quick access to the U.S. market but also for the safety and infrastructure available in the area.
According to the U.S. State Department travel advisory site, the area of Monterey is safer than other border locations, including Baja California and the State of Tamaulipas. At the same time, the locations chosen by both manufacturers are serviced by one of the largest highways going into the United States, Mexico Route 85/U.S. Interstate 35.
It is a positive sign to see the behemoth of General Motors finally changing course toward electric vehicles. And while its recently announced products have been fantastic to hear about, announcing production changes is more concrete evidence of the change happening behind the scenes. And whatever the company decides to build at its Mexican facility, you can count me as excited to see it come to fruition.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
News
Tesla pushes back against unfair reporting of accidents
Tesla is pushing back against the unfair reporting of accidents involving its vehicles. Many media outlets were quick to jump to conclusions about a fatal accident involving a Tesla in Katy, Texas, that happened recently.
The driver of the vehicle, which slammed into a brick house and killed a woman inside, stated the car was operating on Autopilot. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Head of AI Ashok Elluswamy both challenged that claim, with Elluswamy revealing last night that the system was overridden by the driver, who pressed the accelerator pedal “all the way to 100%.”
Tesla finally clarifies fatal Texas crash, confirms driver manually overrode acceleration
The car reached a speed of 73 MPH during the crash, Elluswamy detailed, and stated that the accelerator pedal was even pressed after the crash.
The story has been spread throughout the media with either incomplete or incorrect reporting, with some stories still not updated nearly 24 hours after Musk and Elluswamy posted answers about the crash on X.
The reporting has been a thorn in the side of Tesla for several years. Vehicle accidents involving Teslas are usually reported with the manufacturer’s name in the headline, while other companies are free of criticism when their cars are involved in accidents.
Here’s an example of that:
So you don’t report the vehicle’s make when it isn’t a Tesla, but you do report it when it is a Tesla?
The vehicle in your post above is a Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV. pic.twitter.com/4WT3sZ2DHm
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 17, 2026
Many media outlets stated the car was in “self-driving mode” or “Autopilot mode” when the car crashed. The truth is, now that Tesla has chimed in, that the driver had manually overriden the system by pressing the accelerator. Elluswamy commented on the unfair reporting:
“This blatantly irresponsible reporting does more harm to people than they realize.
Using Tesla self-driving is far safer than manual driving, and this was measured over 10B miles.
Planting such FUD in the minds of general public, who might not know the all the facts, might prevent them from using this technology that makes them safer.”
This blatantly irresponsible reporting does more harm to people than they realize.
Using Tesla self-driving is far safer than manual driving, and this was measured over 10B miles.
Planting such FUD in the minds of general public, who might not know the all the facts, might…
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 22, 2026
The damage these headlines do to Tesla and the self-driving car movement is unexplainable. Most people do not realize the safeguards that are in place with Tesla’s self-driving functions; many people who have used it know the car would never travel at that speed in a residential area, not even on the most aggressive “Mad Max” setting.
It is important to remember that Tesla Full Self-Driving is not autonomous, and the company never claimed it was. Drivers are still responsible for paying attention and remaining vigilant. They must be able to take over at all times.
News
Tesla gets another layer of gamification with Free Supercharging on the line
Tesla Supercharging is getting yet another layer of gamification, as the company is rolling out a new competition that could win Free Supercharging miles.
Tesla is ramping up its efforts to make vehicle ownership more engaging through gamification. In June 2026, the company announced the 2026 Free Supercharging Competition, building on the Charging Passport feature introduced the previous year. This initiative turns Supercharging into a competitive, collectible adventure while offering substantial real-world incentives.
🚨 Tesla is taking its gamification of Supercharging a step further with the launch of the 2026 Free Supercharging Contest:
“In January 2027, Tesla will celebrate nine outstanding Supercharger users from 2026 by awarding them free Supercharging for their Tesla vehicle for as… pic.twitter.com/CPPYJLJwFD
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
The Charging Passport, rolled out late last year, functions like a digital travel log or a year-in-review for Tesla owners. These types of things are used by many platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, which show listeners what type of taste they had for the year.
Accessed in the Tesla App under the ‘Charging’ section, it displays a map of visited Superchargers, key stats, such as total energy charged (kWh), number of unique sites, total charging sessions, top charging day, and miles added. Owners earn collectible Charging Badges in categories, which include:
- Charging Milestones – for total energy, consecutive weeks of Supercharging, or unique sites visited
- Iconic Chargers – for Flagship Locations or stations near famous landmarks
- Special Events – limited-time badges for specific experiences. These badges appear within 24 hours of qualifying activity and provide a fun, shareable recap of an owner’s Supercharging journeys. Milestone progress resets annually, allowing fresh challenges each year
The 2026 contest elevates this gamification by rewarding top performers with lifetime free Supercharging. All Supercharging sessions from January 1 to December 31, 2026, count toward the competition. To participate, owners must enable “Share Charging Data with Tesla App” in vehicle settings and open the 2026 Charging Passport in the app at least once before January 1, 2027.
Nine winners will be selected — three per region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA, with some countries excluded for regulatory reasons) — one in each of three categories:
- Longest Trip: Longest continuous streak of unique Supercharger locations where each new site is visited within 24 hours of the previous session’s start time
- Most Unique Supercharger Sites Visited: Highest number of distinct locations
- Most Energy Supercharged: Highest total in kWh charged at Superchargers
A unique site is defined as shown in the Tesla app or vehicle navigation. Repeat visits during a streak are allowed but do not extend the count. Ties are broken by total energy charged. Ineligible participants include vehicles already receiving free Supercharging, commercial-use vehicles (taxi, rideshare, delivery), Tesla employees and their immediate families, and residents of certain excluded countries.
Winners receive free Supercharging on the winning vehicle for as long as they own or lease it.
This contest is part of Tesla’s broader gamification strategy. The Safety Score has long rewarded safe driving habits with a numerical rating that can influence insurance rates or feature access. The referral program incentivizes owners with credits or free Supercharging months for successful referrals.
In-app statistics, streaks, and community features further encourage engagement. Older third-party apps even awarded “mayor” titles for frequenting specific Superchargers.
By combining digital badges, competitive leaderboards, and high-value rewards, Tesla boosts network utilization, gathers usage data, and fosters deeper owner loyalty. The 2026 Free Supercharging Competition invites enthusiasts to plan epic road trips while turning everyday charging into a rewarding pursuit. With the Passport already proving popular, expect heightened activity across the Supercharger network throughout the year.
News
Tesla tops American-Made Index for sixth-consecutive year
Tesla is atop the American-Made Index from Cars.com for the sixth-straight year, as the Model 3 and Model Y took the top two spots, respectively.
Last year, the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X took the top four spots, respectively. The company has routinely performed well in the Index. However, Tesla discontinued its flagship Model S and Model X earlier this year, which took the two cars out of the ranking.
Cybertruck is not considered due to its curb weight being above the 8,500-pound threshold, which eliminates it from being required to have more detailed assembly information.
Cars.com uses five main categories to develop its rankings:
- Location(s) of final assembly
- Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts
- Countries of origin for all available engines
- Countries of origin for all available transmissions
- U.S. manufacturing workforce
These five major factors are then put into a 100-point scale. The vehicles with the highest scores sit atop the list. The Model 3 edged out the Model Y.
🇺🇸 The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y have been put atop the American-Made Index from https://t.co/PXZ0g1pPb6, meaning they are the most American vehicles you can possibly buy.
This is the SIXTH-STRAIGHT year a Tesla has been listed as the most American-made vehicle: pic.twitter.com/HyraOmaxSL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
Tesla uses a strong domestic strategy to build its cars and parts domestically. It relies on intense vertical integration that reduces its dependence on global suppliers, keeping more value and jobs in the United States.
This strategy has helped Tesla gain a strong reputation for domestically produced vehicles and parts. However, it helps it with more than just awards like this one. Keeping a supply chain local has also helped insulate Tesla more than others from tariffs and supply chain disruptions.
This year’s American-Made Index from Cars.com studied nearly 400 vehicles from the 2026 model year. Tesla was the only manufacturer to have an EV inside the Top 10. The Kia EV9 was the next EV to make the list, scoring the 17th position.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 was 21st, and the final EV to make the list was the Cadillac LYRIQ in 77th.