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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.
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Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles.
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.
Grokipedia’s rapid growth
xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias.
At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”
Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.
Elon Musk’s ambitious plans
With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2.
Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos.
“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”
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Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
More than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3.
The Tesla Model 3 became the most popular used electric car in the Netherlands in 2025, cementing its dominance well beyond the country’s new-car market.
After years at the top of Dutch EV sales charts, the Model 3 now leads the country’s second-hand EV market by a wide margin, as record used-car purchases pushed electric vehicles further into the mainstream.
Model 3 takes a commanding lead
The Netherlands recorded more than 2.1 million used car sales last year, the highest level on record. Of those, roughly 4.8%, or about 102,000 vehicles, were electric. Within that growing segment, the Tesla Model 3 stood far ahead of its competitors.
In 2025 alone, 11,338 used Model 3s changed hands, giving the car an 11.1% share of the country’s entire used EV market. That means more than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3, Auto Week Netherlands reported. The scale of its lead is striking: the gap between the Model 3 and the second-place finisher, the Volkswagen ID3, is more than 6,700 vehicles.
Rivals trail as residual values shape rankings
The Volkswagen ID.3 ranked a distant second, with 4,595 used units sold and a 4.5% market share. Close behind was the Audi e-tron, which placed third with 4,236 registrations. As noted by Auto Week Netherlands, relatively low residual values likely boosted the e-tron’s appeal in the used market, despite its higher original price.
Other strong performers included the Kia Niro, the Tesla Model Y, and the Hyundai Kona, highlighting continued demand for compact and midsize electric vehicles with proven range and reliability. No other model, however, came close to matching the Model 3’s scale or market presence.
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Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Tesla has expanded the Model Y lineup in Europe with the introduction of the Standard Long Range RWD variant, which offers an impressive 657 km of WLTP range.
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Model Y Standard Long Range RWD Details
Tesla Europe & Middle East highlighted some of the Model Y Standard Long Range RWD’s most notable specs, from its 657 km of WLTP range to its 2,118 liters of cargo volume. More importantly, Tesla also noted that the newly released variant only consumes 12.7 kWh per 100 km, making it the most efficient Model Y to date.
The Model Y Standard provides a lower entry point for consumers who wish to enter the Tesla ecosystem at the lowest possible price. While the Model 3 Standard is still more affordable, some consumers might prefer the Model Y Standard due to its larger size and crossover form factor. The fact that the Model Y Standard is equipped with Tesla’s AI4 computer also makes it ready for FSD’s eventual rollout to the region.
Top Gear’s Model Y Standard review
Top Gear‘s recent review of the Tesla Model Y Standard highlighted some of the vehicle’s most notable features, such as its impressive real-world range, stellar infotainment system, and spacious interior. As per the publication, the Model Y Standard still retains a lot of what makes Tesla’s vehicles well-rounded, even if it’s been equipped with a simplified interior.
Top Gear compared the Model Y Standard to its rivals in the same segment. “The introduction of the Standard trim brings the Model Y in line with the entry price of most of its closest competition. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than a Peugeot e-3008 and costs £5k less than an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron. It also makes the Ford Mustang Mach-E look a little short with its higher entry price and worse range,” the publication wrote.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
