The O Canada Score is a comparison score out of 100, calculated from publicly available manufacturing data. Where the evidence does not support a precise score, the vehicle remains under review and that score is not displayed. Scores cannot be bought, negotiated, or influenced by manufacturer partnerships.
This score compares manufacturing origin using four weighted categories. It is not a Canadian-content percentage or a measurement of spending or jobs created by a purchase.
Final assembly receives the largest weight. Source filings and manufacturer information identify assembly countries; VIN information can help identify the assembly location of an individual vehicle. A model built in more than one country needs configuration-specific evidence. Unknown or conflicting locations remain under review.
| Assembly Location | Points |
|---|---|
| Canada | 50 |
| United States | 25 |
| Mexico | 25 |
| Other | 0 |
Why USA and Mexico score equally: The scoring policy assigns 25 assembly points to either country and 50 to Canada. Engine and transmission origins follow the same preference for Canada, with equal points for the United States and Mexico. These weights describe manufacturing origin; they do not certify a vehicle's trade-agreement eligibility or tariff treatment.
We set final assembly at 50 points, not 70 or 80, because a vehicle built outside Canada but with high North American parts content still creates real economic benefit across the continent. This score is pro-Canadian, not absolutist.
We multiply the reported combined US/Canada parts-content percentage by 0.3. For example, 60% earns 18 points, 62% earns 18.6 points, and 85% earns 25.5 points. The full 30 points requires 100% reported US/Canada parts content.
What this percentage covers: AALA combines US and Canadian parts content by value. Mexico is not included in that combined figure. The percentage is reported for a carline, rather than measured for each individual vehicle, and does not include final vehicle assembly labour or other non-parts costs. It does not establish a Canadian-only share. See NHTSA's explanation of AALA reports.
Federal AALA rules count equipment supplied to a manufacturer or allied supplier as 100% U.S./Canadian when at least 70% of its value is added in the U.S. and/or Canada. Below that threshold, the equipment's U.S./Canadian value-added percentage is rounded to the nearest five percentage points. Those equipment calculations feed a carline-level percentage based on expected parts value; this is a regulatory calculation, not a vehicle-by-vehicle measurement. See 49 CFR § 583.6.
A filing can list multiple engine/motor, transmission or assembly origins. We do not average those alternatives into an unsupported component score. Supported configurations may have different scores; unresolved combinations stay under review.
| Engine or Electric Motor Origin Country | Points |
|---|---|
| Canada | 10 |
| United States or Mexico | 5 |
| Outside CUSMA | 0 |
For a battery-electric vehicle, federal AALA guidance treats the electric motor as the engine-equivalent component and reports its origin in the engine/motor field. O Canada Cars applies its 10/5/0 points scale to that filed origin; those points are our scoring policy, not points assigned by NHTSA. The traction battery is not an engine or transmission for this purpose and earns no separate points. The manufacturer's headquarters and the vehicle's assembly country do not establish the motor's origin. See NHTSA's interpretation of engine and transmission reporting for electric vehicles.
| Transmission Origin Country | Points |
|---|---|
| Canada | 10 |
| United States or Mexico | 5 |
| Outside CUSMA | 0 |
The transmission is scored separately from the engine or motor. NHTSA notes that some electric vehicles have no transmission. A blank AALA cell alone does not tell us whether none is installed or its origin was not reported. Because the current 100-point formula has no published not-applicable rule, that score stays under review rather than receiving zero points or silently removing points from the denominator. Where transmission choices have different origins, a single nameplate-level value cannot stand in for every configuration.
All scores are calculated from publicly available data and served from an internally maintained database. No score is generated by a live API call, which means the platform stays functional regardless of any disruption to external data services.
| Category | Source |
|---|---|
| Assembly location | NHTSA vPIC API / VIN data |
| Parts content | AALA manufacturer submissions / window sticker data |
| Engine/motor and transmission origin | AALA submissions / manufacturer specifications |
Anyone can cross-check these scores against the source documents. The methodology is versioned. If we update it, we publish the change and recalculate historical scores so comparisons stay valid.
Current version: V2 (June 2026)
Explanation corrected October 30, 2026: The parts-content examples and labels now state the existing 0.3-point formula and combined US/Canada scope accurately. This is a documentation correction; scoring weights and stored vehicle values are unchanged.
EV clarification October 31, 2026: For battery-electric vehicles, AALA's engine/motor field supplies the motor-origin component; battery origin is not separately scored. Missing motor or transmission entries are left under review instead of being treated as a 0-point origin.
Starting in Year 2, we will convene an advisory board to review the methodology quarterly. The board will include:
The board's role: suggest methodology refinements, validate data sources, and ensure the scoring remains defensible and fair. All meeting notes will be published annually.
Trade rules and tariff measures can change and may depend on a vehicle’s tariff classification, origin rules, entry date and other details. The O Canada Score does not measure or predict tariff treatment.
Assembly or parts-origin information on this site does not establish whether a particular vehicle qualifies for a trade-agreement preference, is subject to a tariff, or is eligible for an exemption. For current requirements, consult Finance Canada’s tariff information and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Our records are tied to a model year and may not describe every vehicle configuration or an individual vehicle. Production plans and sourcing can also change. Check the cited source and model year on a vehicle page; use the VIN or ask the manufacturer or dealer to confirm the assembly location of a specific vehicle.
O Canada Cars makes no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of scoring. Use this tool for informational purposes only. Not a substitute for professional automotive advice.