[Digital Today intern reporter Seung-a Yoo] Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y were selected as the vehicles with the highest share of U.S. production this year, and the Cybertruck was the only U.S. full-size pickup to receive the top safety grade.

Cleantechnica, an electric-vehicle outlet, reported on July 6 that, in Cars.com's latest American-Made Index, the Model 3 ranked first and the Model Y second.

Cars.com ranks vehicles on a 100-point scale reflecting the location of final assembly, the share of U.S. and Canadian parts, the origin of the engine and transmission, and U.S. manufacturing labor. No vehicle sold in the United States this year had a higher U.S.-production share than the two Tesla models. Cars.com assessed that Tesla has topped the index for six straight years.

The Model S and Model X were not included in this year's ranking. The two vehicles were discontinued this year and were excluded from the analysis. The Cybertruck was also not included because its curb weight exceeds the 8,500-pound (about 4,000 kg) limit.

Among electric vehicles, Kia's EV9 ranked 17th, Hyundai's Ioniq 5 21st and Cadillac's Lyriq 77th. Still, Tesla's local production structure remained prominent in the competition over U.S.-made share. Tesla's vertically integrated structure and the fact it produces many parts directly in the United States were cited as reasons for the result.

In the safety assessment, the Cybertruck posted a separate achievement. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Cybertruck its top rating, Top Safety Pick+. Under recent evaluation criteria, the Cybertruck was the only full-size pickup to receive that grade.

The Cybertruck also posted strong results in the pedestrian crash avoidance category. It avoided collisions in all scenarios: child crossing in daytime, adult crossing at night and parallel adult walking at night. Concerns were also raised that its body shape and materials could pose risks to pedestrians or cyclists, but its avoidance performance itself was strong.

The gap with comparable models was also noted. In the full-size pickup segment, the Toyota Tundra received only the standard Top Safety Pick, and the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 received neither grade. That means the Cybertruck secured a higher safety assessment than competing vehicles in its class, at least by IIHS standards.

The key point is that Tesla's latest results were confirmed simultaneously on two axes: localized production and safety. On the U.S.-made index, the Model 3 and Model Y showed Tesla's manufacturing system, while in the safety assessment the Cybertruck added a differentiating factor within the full-size pickup market. As a result, Tesla was able to highlight both its U.S. production base and product competitiveness.