How to identify the Tesla by VIN code

Over the past few months, Tesla has expanded significantly by setting up factories around the world; as we know the first models produced in China had quality standards recognized as "inferior" for the European market and now, with the presence of the Gigafactory in Berlin, the situation has greatly improved. This discrepancy regarding the production origin of the vehicles has led numerous owners to try to understand where their own model or the car they wish to purchase was manufactured, in order to understand all its characteristics and any critical issues.

For whom unbeknownst to him, Tesla can currently count on the " firepower " of as many as five Gigafactories located around the world:

Tesla Factory in Fremont, United States; Tesla Giga in Nevada, US (Gigafactory 1); Tesla Giga in Shanghai, China (Gigafactory 3); Tesla Giga Berlin, Germany (Gigafactory 4); Tesla Giga Austin, USA (Gigafactory 5).

--> Federicovecchio.com The total construction capacity is over 1.9 million electric vehicles (650,000 in the Tesla Factory in California, 750,000 in Giga Shanghai and 250,000 each in Giga Berlin and Giga Texas). Plants may either produce top-selling vehicles or, as in the case of Gigafactory 5, specialize in a single product such as Tesla Semi.

Annual Production Capacity Region Model Capacity California Model S / Model X 100.00 Model 3 / Model Y 550,000 Shanghai Model 3 / Model Y >750,000 Berlin Model Y >250,000 Texas Model Y >250,000 Cybertruck – Nevada Tesla Semi – TBD Roadster – Robotaxi – With such a differentiated production and a quality standard that has improved over the years but still, at times, distant from the European one, it is therefore legitimate to wonder how to identify the origin of one's own model. Now it is finally possible using a VIN decoder (by NTHSA) capable of understanding digit by digit the abbreviations used in Tesla.

What is the VIN code

--> The word VIN derives from the English Vehicle Identification Number (vehicle identification number) and is assigned to the vehicle by the manufacturer. It is always a 17-character annotation and did not exist before 1981, therefore cars prior to this date do not respect a single standard.

The VIN is generally positioned on the lower outer edge of the front windscreen, but it can also find space on the driver's side pillar, inside the trunk tray and on the right shock absorber cup. Some manufacturers also place it on some structural elements of the engine.

Why is the VIN code important? This series of characters testifies to the qualities of our vehicle and its authenticity.

How to interpret the VIN

Let's pretend we have the VIN in front of us: 5 Y J 4 5 6 7 8 9 P F 12 13 14 15 16 17 (a fictional serial, created exclusively to better understand the codes).

the first three letters identify the type of model (5YI for Passenger, 7SA for MPV); the number “4” indicates the model (S for Model S, X for Model X, 3 for Model 3 and Y for Model Y); the number “5” represents the segment and gross weight of the vehicle (A for Hatchback, C for E segment, E for Sedan and G for D segment); the number “6” indicates the amount of seat belts and airbags; the number "7" the power supply (E, electric); the number "8" the propulsion scheme (single motor, dual motor, tri motor and related model - see below); the number "9" is assigned by the manufacturer as a check; the number “10” is the year of production (P for 2023, N for 2022); the number "11" is the manufacturing plant (F for Fremont, N for Nevada, B for Berlin, C for Shanghai and A for Austin); the numbers “12-17” are the serial number. --> In the future, with new models (Cybertruck and Semi) and production facilities planned it is possible that the VIN decoder will become obsolete or even more complex.