Made in USA %

2014 Kogod Made in America Index

Quote :

The Ford F-Series pickup and the Chevrolet Corvette reign supreme in the new release of the Kogod Made in America Auto Index, revealed this week.

The Kogod index has a unique evaluation method to determine the domestic content of vehicles sold in the United States—which accounts for production factors ignored in other indices. It also compensates for the drawbacks of using self-reported regulatory data as the only measure of determining the "American-ness" of a vehicle sold in the U.S.

"This index provides the public with a more accurate reflection of the true country of origin of a car and the impact of its purchase on the US economy," said Associate Professor Frank DuBois, the index's author and an expert in global supply chains.

"And hopefully, it holds vehicle manufacturers accountable for the claims they make in marketing to U.S. consumers."

The top vehicles in the 2014 Kogod Made in America Auto Index are:  

• F-Series Pickup, Ford (score: 87.5 out of 100)

• Corvette, Chevrolet (score: 87.5)

• Enclave, Buick (score: 86)

• Traverse, Chevrolet (score: 86)

• Acadia, GMC (score: 86)

• Acadia Denali, GMC (score: 86)

Although the Kogod index incorporates data from the American Automotive Labeling Act (AALA) into its calculation, it also includes relevant information such as the vehicle's location of assembly and the company headquarters location, where research and development occurs.

In calculating the index, DuBois derived seven individual criteria scores per vehicle, based on publically available data. These weighted criteria include:  

1. Profit Margin: Where the automaker’s global headquarters is located. This is relevant as profits from cars return to the shareholders in the home country. (6 percent)

2. Labor: Location of assembly, included as the money supports workers in this country. (6 percent)

3. Location of Research & Development activities: Essentially, where the headquarters is located. (6 percent)

4. Inventory, Capital and Other Expenses: the location of assembly. (11 percent)

5. Engine: The location of production. (14 percent)

6. Transmission: The location of production. (7 percent)

7. Body, Chassis and Electrical Components: The location of where they are made. (50 percent)

As the Kogod index reveals, automakers with a U.S.-based headquarters rated highly in terms of overall domestic content, largely because the profit derived from the vehicles' sale was more likely to return to the U.S., and most R&D activities for these firms are located in the U.S.

AALA Limitations

Since 1994, the AALA has required automakers to document the percentage of American content in U.S.-sold vehicles. The AALA is useful in determining the country of origin of the parts and components and location of assembly of a vehicle but has some limitations, notably:

• Canadian and U.S. content are not separately calculated, but lumped together.

• Automakers can "round up" from 70 to 100 percent to calculate "local" content.

• Finally, all cars in one line are counted uniformly, which may distort the actual level of American content in a particular vehicle.

2014 Kogod Made in America Auto Index

Kogod News




Here's a quick look at all the current pickups on the list...

Ford F-Series = 87.5%
Honda Ridgeline = 78.5%
Toyota Tundra = 78.5%
Chevrolet Silverado = 70%
GMC Sierra = 70%
Ram 1500 = 63%
Nissan Frontier = 59%
Nissan Titan = 59%
Toyota Tacoma = 57%

it's funny how there are so many ways to come up with this and so many results.

I'm pretty much at the point of saying, the hell with it, buy what I like (for trucks anyway, the rest is easier)

That's primarily the thoughts of the entire country as well.  It's too difficult for them to spend any time or effort or for that matter being bothered in considering buying something that supports their neighbors and communities.

We've been sold out, and our citizenry has been in line lock step with it.   Not a thought or consideration else wise.  Then they have the gal to ask, "Where's the jobs?" If we're not buying what each other does for a living, the money well runs out, the money has departed and thus with it the jobs and standard of living.

And private transportation is less important to the next generation. They prefer to take public transit or live in high density urban areas.

joemac wrote:

That's primarily the thoughts of the entire country as well.  It's too difficult for them to spend any time or effort or for that matter being bothered in considering buying something that supports their neighbors and communities.

We've been sold out, and our citizenry has been in line lock step with it.   Not a thought or consideration else wise.  Then they have the gal to ask, "Where's the jobs?"  If we're not buying what each other does for a living, the money well runs out, the money has departed and thus with it the jobs and standard of living.

so what are you saying in my application then?

I should have bought a Ford since it has more USA part content than the Ram or tundra for my last two purchases?

I really don't think one truck is better than the other today as far as benefiting the USA to an extent to sway my purchase from one truck to another based solely on that criteria.  

My comment was limited to my full size truck purchases..other purchases, well, guess who started the "Made in USA" thread

my point was they are all so close it's not worth trying to split hairs to figure out which one is more beneficial, especially when I still have to like the truck I am spending 40-50K on

Not saying anything.  Made a statement about the mindset of American.  If a person has a differing viewpoint or perspective, they're free to do so.  Your reading way to much into this, almost to the point of narcissism.  I, me, my, mine.

It's a good thing you're not Canadian BB, you wouldn't be buying any truck if domestic content mattered.

Domestic content is now defined as US and Canadian content.

joemac wrote:

Not saying anything.  Made a statement about the mindset of American.  If a person has a differing viewpoint or perspective, they're free to do so.  Your reading way to much into this, almost to the point of narcissism.  I, me, my, mine.

ok, I was just asking, didn't mean to be a prick at all.

your post came across as me being the same as the rest of the stupid, lazy, and or uninformed americans you always allude to and making bad decision for the good of the country or something, so I may have read too much into it but sometimes it's hard when your just reading a post and not having a conversation

toyboxrv wrote:

It's a good thing you're not Canadian BB, you wouldn't be buying any truck if domestic content mattered.

do you factor that in at all?

I was fine with my tundra purchase and Ram purchase when it came to that.

but at the end of the day, I am not going to spend 40-50K on something I don't like, even if it is slightly better for the country.

case in point, it would have probably been better to buy a Ford if you looked strictly at the USA benefit, but I really don't like the current F-150 much, and loved the Ram after the test drive, so here we are. check went to Ram this time, who knows where it will go next time.

The point is there aren't trucks assembled in Canada, which would be domestic to a Canadian. A Canadian has a hard time buying a vehicle made in Canada, so it might be best to try and buy from a company that provides other jobs for Canadians.

Until the new Renegade gets into production, all Jeeps are assembled in the US. Who else can say that? FCA isn't that foreign after all.

Despite all those that think that Detroit has been outsourcing jobs, they all build a greater percentage of their US sales volume in US plants than Toyota and Honda do, but you would never guess by the negative press and the false beliefs of many people. Honda's next export BS was just that. They counted exports to Canada and Mexico and only imports from Japan. Add up all the vehicles that Ford and GM build outside of North America and it's much smaller than what Honda builds.