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Welcome to Wednesday as we dig into the 2024 Cars.com American-Made Index, revealing the most American cars. We also dig into a McKinsey survey showing how crucial smartphone integration is for car buyers and take a pass at the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's proposal for social media warning labels to protect young people's mental health.

Show Notes with links:

• The 2024 Cars.com American-Made Index reveals the most American-made cars with this year bringing some surprise shifts to the top ten
  • The index is determined by five key criteria to ensure a comprehensive assessment of a vehicle's domestic production impact: assembly location, percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts, origin of engines, origin of transmissions, and the U.S. manufacturing workforce. 
  • For the third year in a row, the most American car is the Tesla Model Y, but Tesla's other models have seen  a drop in rankings due to Tesla's workforce calculations 
  • The top ten are Tesla Model Y, Honda Passport, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model S, Honda Odyssey, Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Camry, Jeep Gladiator, Tesla Model X, Lexus TX
  • GM doesn’t show up on the list until #23 with the Colorado and Ford is on the bench until #31 with the Mustang
  • A recent survey indicates that 56% of in-market shoppers prefer American-made vehicles, with many willing to pay more to support domestic jobs
    
    
    
• A recent McKinsey & Co. survey reveals that a third of car buyers would refuse to purchase a vehicle without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, underscoring the importance of smartphone integration.
  • 30% of EV buyers and 35% of ICE buyers globally consider smartphone integration essential.
  • In the U.S., 25% of EV buyers and 38% of gasoline vehicle buyers feel the same.
  • Some buyers are willing to pay extra for smartphone integration: 17% of ICE and nearly 30% of EV buyers.
  • Automakers are wary of ceding the infotainment experience to tech companies, focusing on developing native systems.
  • Kevin Laczkowski of McKinsey stated plainly, “If an OEM moves away from seamless smartphone integration, obviously that's a risk.”
    
    
• U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has proposed mandatory warning labels on social media platforms to highlight their potential mental health risks to young people.
  • Murthy cites studies showing social media increases anxiety and depression in teens.
  • Teenagers spend nearly five hours daily on social media, doubling mental health risks.
  • Lawmakers and youth advocates have long criticized social media for harming children.
  • Murthy urges Congress to legislate warning labels, stating, "The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency."
  • Vivek told CNN, “I put forward this call for a warning because I think it’s essential that parents know what we now know, which is that there are si

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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