AOC says she'll trade in her Tesla for a union-made EV. Her options are slim.

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to trade in her Tesla for a union-made electric vehicle. 
• But there aren't very many union-made EVs out there, especially ones that we think AOC might like.
• Her comments came amid an ongoing auto worker strike. 

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has butted heads with Tesla CEO Elon Musk for years. Now she's thinking about trading in her Tesla Model 3 for another electric car.

But the decision isn't about personal beef. It's about union labor.

In an interview on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, AOC was asked why she bought a Tesla rather than a union-made electric vehicle. The Democrat said she bought her Model 3 to drive between New York and Washington, DC before some of the new, longer-range options hit the market. She said she's looking into other cars now.

AOC's comments come as Ford, General Motors, and Jeep-owner Stellantis employees represented by the United Auto Workers union strike for higher wages and other protections in their latest contract.

So what zero-emission vehicles out there are union-made? AOC's pickings are slim.

She could buy a $57,000 Cadillac Lyriq, though a luxury SUV doesn't quite fit the image of the down-to-earth, eat-the-rich politician.

The same goes for GMC's ginormous Hummer EV and Ford's F-150 Lightning. Those giant trucks are a bit ostentatious and impractical on cramped New York City streets. Once again, definitely not AOC's vibe.

Ford's Mustang Mach-E would be an obvious choice since the stylish SUV offers over 300 miles of range and wasn't available in 2020, but it's made in Mexico.

Ford's E-Transit van is union-made in the US, but it's for commercial use and not very cute.

There are some other EVs that are made in the US but not by unionized workers, like the Rivian R1T and R1S, the Volkswagen ID.4, and the Lucid Motors Air. Stellantis brands Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler don't sell any EVs yet.

AOC only has 2 real choices

That leaves AOC choosing between the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, a hatchback and a small SUV, respectively. They cost less than $30,000 — perfect for that everywoman image — and offer ranges of 247 miles (for the Bolt EUV) and 259 miles (for the Bolt EV). That's solid, especially for the price, but still less than a Tesla.

The big issue is the Chevys are built on aging tech and can't charge nearly as quickly as most competitors, including the Model 3. New York to Washington, DC is around 225 miles, so AOC would have to plug in once to make the trip, once you account for efficiency losses due to weather and highway speeds.

If I were her, I'd want to charge as quickly as possible and get back on the road. The Chevys make that challenging.

I think the winner here is the Bolt EV, since it offers just a bit more range than the EUV. But given the scant union-made choices out there, I wouldn't blame AOC for keeping her Tesla for a few more years either.