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Tesla Model 3 tops Cars.com’s ‘American Made’ Index, first time an EV conquers the list
The Tesla Model 3 has captured Cars.com’s “American-Made” Index, a monumental achievement for the automaker’s mass-market sedan. Not only is the recognition a huge feather in the cap for Tesla, but also for the electric vehicle movement as it is the first time an EV has topped the list.
Since 2005, Cars.com has compiled a list qualifying all vehicles built and bought in the U.S. This year’s study ranked 90 vehicles through five categories of major criteria: assembly location, parts content, engine origins, transmission origins, and U.S. manufacturing workforce. For the first time in the 16-year history of the Index, Tesla has topped the list, also becoming the first all-electric car to capture the top spot from vehicles like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, and Jeep Cherokee, three long-standing vehicles that have been included in the Index’s past rankings.
The Model 3 topped the 2021 list after coming in fourth just a year ago, being recognized as the most “American-Made” vehicle for the first time in its nearly four-year stay in the U.S. automotive market. First being delivered in mid-2017, the Model 3 was Tesla’s first mass-market sedan and was arguably the catalyst to the American EV sector. After the Model 3 was released by Tesla, it proved that EVs could be affordable, and they could begin displacing the overwhelming majority of gas-powered engines that dominated U.S. roads. Since then, the Model 3 has made a tremendous dent in the ICE market, especially in the sedan body style. The Model 3 was the 16th best-selling car in the world, according to a May 2021 report from Forbes.
The key to Tesla’s overwhelmingly domestic production process of its vehicles starts with the company’s focus on vertical integration. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has commented on the company’s focus on this in the past, highlighting the automaker’s general strategy of creating its own machinery to design things. To Musk, this could be one of the company’s biggest advantages over competitors due to Tesla’s ability to not depend on manufacturers to provide parts. Instead, Tesla can basically build a car from the ground up using what it has in-house, to an extent. Of course, the company still utilizes suppliers for things like tires and glass, but the bulk of the car is produced by Tesla.
Elon Musk gives a rare look into the Model 3 production line. [Credit: CBS This Morning/YouTube]
“Tesla is absolutely vertically integrated compared to other auto companies or basically most any company,” Musk said during the Q3 2020 Earnings Call. “We have a massive amount of internal manufacturing technology that we built ourselves. We literally make the machine. In fact, we design it — so like, OK, what are the things we want to make, design a machine that will make that thing, then we make the machine. This is what — this makes it quite difficult to copy Tesla, which we’re not actually all that opposed to people copying us, but it’s quite difficult because you can’t do catalog engineering. You can’t just pick up the supplier catalog, I’ll get one of those machines, one of that machine; bingo, I’m now Tesla. You have to — there is no catalog,” he continued.
This has also led to its understanding of its product to depths that many other automotive manufacturers simply cannot match. Tesla’s in-house Insurance program also receives dividends from the company’s vertical integration because the cars are made up of so many company-produced parts. This allows for a greater understanding of the product.
Amazingly, the Model 3 was not the only Tesla vehicle on the list, and in fact, it wasn’t the only Tesla in the top 3. The Model Y made its debut on the list, coming in at #3. This is not much of a surprise as the Model 3 and Model Y share a very similar design, and some have indicated that the two vehicles share 75% of the same parts. This makes the Model Y a no-brainer for this list, only being bested by the Model 3 and the Ford Mustang.
The full “American-Made” Index from Cars.com can be viewed here.
Elon Musk
California snubs Tesla in its newly passed EV incentive that favors Rivian and Lucid
California passed a $135 million EV incentive that rewards Rivian and Lucid while sidelining Tesla
California just drew a line in the EV incentive sand to put Tesla on the wrong side of it. The state recently passed a $135 million program offering first-time electric vehicle buyers a direct incentive with no application required, but the rules were written in a way that leaves Tesla at a structural disadvantage compared to Rivian and Lucid.
The program caps eligible vehicles at $50,000 for new EVs and $25,000 for used ones. That pricing threshold rules out a significant portion of Tesla’s lineup, though some lower-priced Model 3 and Model Y configurations would still qualify. California-based automakers are exempt from the price cap entirely, regardless of what their vehicles cost. Rivian, headquartered in Irvine, and Lucid, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, both benefit from that exemption. Rivian’s R2 starts at roughly $45,000 but has versions above the cap. Lucid’s Air and Gravity start at $70,990 and $79,990 respectively, well above any threshold a non-California company would face.
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
Tesla built its reputation and a significant portion of its early market share in California, where EV adoption has consistently led the nation. The company operates its original factory in Fremont, California, and the state was home to Tesla’s headquarters for most of its existence. That changed in 2021 when Tesla moved its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas. Since then, the relationship between the company and California Governor Gavin Newsom has been openly adversarial, with Musk and Newsom trading public criticism on multiple occasions.
California’s EV incentive landscape has shifted repeatedly in recent years, and Tesla has previously lost eligibility for state-level programs as its vehicles exceeded income-adjusted price thresholds. The federal $7,500 EV tax credit, which Tesla models have qualified for and lost depending on policy cycles, is no longer available after it expired without renewal, making state-level programs more meaningful to buyers than they have been in years.
The practical impact for buyers is more nuanced than the headline suggests. California residents purchasing a Tesla under $50,000 for the first time can still access the incentive. But the exemption written for California-based manufacturers is a structural advantage that rewards where a company plants its headquarters flag rather than where it builds its products, and Tesla moved that flag to Texas.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s newest logo confirms everything about what it’s become
SpaceX officially absorbed xAI under the SpaceXAI brand, completing the largest private merger in history.
SpaceX made its corporate transformation official in May 2026 when Elon Musk posted on X that xAI would cease to exist as a standalone company. “xAI will be dissolved as a separate company, so it will just be SpaceXAI, the AI products from SpaceX,” he wrote.
A new SpaceXAI logo was announced today, visually embedding the xAI letters inside the SpaceX identity, which can be seen as a deliberate design choice that signals the merger is not a partnership but a full absorption and XAi a core function of the same company. The same way Starlink is not a separate brand but a SpaceX product. The announcement closed the loop on a process that began February 2, 2026, when SpaceX acquired xAI in the largest private merger in history, valued at $1.25 trillion. SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion.
We are now @SpaceXAI. pic.twitter.com/ema66xDWC9
— SpaceXAI (@SpaceXAI) July 6, 2026
The reason SpaceX bought xAI was stated plainly by Musk at the time of the deal: to build orbital data centers. SpaceX had simultaneously filed with the FCC to launch up to one million satellites designed to function as AI compute nodes in low Earth orbit, escaping what Musk described as the energy constraints limiting AI development on Earth.
xAI provided the AI software stack, with Grok, the X platform, and the Colossus supercomputer infrastructure in Memphis with over 220,000 NVIDIA GPUs, while SpaceX provided the rockets, Starlink, and the capital base to fund it. The two companies needed each other. xAI was burning $2.5 billion in losses on $250 million in revenue. SpaceX was generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on $15 billion in revenue and needed an AI narrative to command the valuation it was targeting for its IPO.
What SpaceX has done, regardless of how the orbital AI vision ultimately plays out, is walk into a public market as something no company has been before: a rocket manufacturer, satellite internet provider, AI software company, social media platform, and supercomputer operator under one ticker. Whether that combination is worth $2 trillion depends entirely on which of those businesses you believe in most.
Tesla brought its innovative Cybercab robotaxi to the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Annual Convention in Austin, Texas, on July 3 at the JW Marriott Austin.
The hands-on demonstration highlighted the vehicle’s thoughtful design for blind and visually impaired users, underscoring Tesla’s commitment to inclusive autonomous mobility. Attendees, many using white canes or accompanied by service dogs, experienced the steering-wheel-free Cybercab firsthand.
Cybercab at the National Federation of the Blind’s Annual Convention in Austin for a hands-on experience of its accessibility features for blind or visually impaired customers⁰⁰For example:⁰– Braille lettering on physical controls
– Space for service animals & assistive… pic.twitter.com/8wrJcDHkw7— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) July 6, 2026
The showcase emphasized practical features tailored to the needs of the blind community. Braille lettering appears on physical controls, including door releases and emergency buttons, allowing users to navigate interfaces independently through touch. Generous interior space accommodates service animals and assistive devices such as canes, guide dogs, or mobility aids without compromising comfort.
Wheelchair-height seating facilitates easier transfers for users with additional mobility challenges. Photos from the event captured blind attendees approaching the vehicle confidently, service dogs relaxing inside, and hands exploring Braille-equipped handles.
Tesla Robotaxi’s official account detailed these elements, noting the Cybercab’s focus on accessibility, especially noting the Braille lettering and additional space for service animals.
How Tesla Will Transform Mobility for the Blind
Autonomous vehicles like the Cybercab promise revolutionary independence for the roughly 2.2 million visually impaired Americans. Traditional barriers—reliance on sighted drivers, costly paratransit, or limited public transit—often restrict spontaneous travel. Tesla Full Self-Driving aims to eliminate the need for a human operator, enabling on-demand, door-to-door rides via simple app hailing with voice guidance.
Users gain freedom to work, socialize, shop, or attend events anytime without scheduling hassles or safety concerns. This reduces isolation, boosts employment opportunities, and enhances quality of life, turning mobility from a dependency into true personal autonomy.
The NFB demonstration not only gathered valuable feedback but also generated excitement about a future where technology levels the playing field. By prioritizing inclusive design, Tesla advances a vision of transportation that serves everyone, potentially reshaping daily life for blind individuals and setting a standard for the autonomous industry.
As Cybercab deployment scales, these accessibility innovations could mark a significant step toward equitable mobility.
California snubs Tesla in its newly passed EV incentive that favors Rivian and Lucid
SpaceX’s newest logo confirms everything about what it’s become
