Politicians in America are pushing for more products made domestically, but with cars that can be complicated. How much would an American-made car cost?
Walking into a dealership and asking for a car that’s entirely American sounds patriotic, right? We are talking about every bolt, every wire, every chip, built and sourced right here in the U.S. Well, the truth be told, such a car doesn’t actually exist. And honestly, it’s not because automakers aren’t trying hard enough. It’s because the way the industry works today just makes it nearly impossible. Even cars that are assembled on American soil are built using parts that come from all over the world.
In fact, the average car today is a true global puzzle. A typical vehicle is made of about 20,000 individual parts, and many of those are sourced from over 50 different countries. Some parts even cross borders multiple times before finally landing in the assembly plant. Even the Ford Expedition, proudly assembled in Kentucky, only uses about 42% U.S.-made parts. As Jim Farley of Ford put it to CNBC, «We can move everything to the U.S., but if every Ford is $50,000, we’re not going to win as a company.» America imports 8 million vehicles a year, making up half of all U.
