Tesla VIN Decoder: All digits explained

Many Tesla customers associate the Tesla chassis number, also known as the VIN, with a decisive moment in the purchasing process: as soon as the VIN appears in the Tesla account after the order has been placed, it means that the vehicle has been produced and is on its way to the customer - it can't be long before it is handed over.

In the meantime, you can use this Tesla VIN decoder to find out exactly what the chassis number means and find out interesting information about your car. The vast majority of people do not know what the chassis number actually stands for.

In this article, we explain the meaning of the individual numbers and letters step by step. You can then also use this to decode your own Tesla chassis number. And who knows, you might even learn something new.

Tesla chassis number: What is the VIN?

VIN stands for "Vehicle Identification Number", i.e. a unique number that identifies the vehicle beyond doubt. In rare cases, the number can also be found under the German abbreviation "FIN" (vehicle identification number). The Tesla VIN is 17 digits long, the first eleven of which have a meaning that we will decode below. The last six represent a unique serial number.

Where can you find the VIN?

If you want to check the Tesla chassis number, you first need to know it. The number can be found in the German registration papers, on the B-pillar on the driver's side and on a sticker below the windshield, also on the driver's side. For the latter, look for a small "window" in the lower part of the windshield near the windshield wipers.

The chassis number can also be viewed digitally as soon as the Tesla VIN has been assigned: Scroll all the way down in the Tesla app, call up the "Software" menu in the vehicle or look it up in the user account on the Tesla website.

If you want to find out more about Tesla's digital offering, you will find what you are looking for in our comprehensive Tesla app guide.

Tesla VIN decoder: This is what the digits

Once you have found the VIN, you can decode it. We have prepared the meanings of the individual passages piece by piece - making decoding child's play.

Tesla VIN Grünheide: Digits 1-3 indicate the manufacturer

The first three digits of the chassis number indicate the manufacturer or the place of manufacture. Tesla offers the following options:

• 5YY: Tesla in USA (Model 3/S)
• 7G2: Tesla in USA (Tesla Semi)
• 7SA: Tesla in USA (Model X/Y)
• SFZ: Tesla Roadster (built in Great Britain)
• LRW: Tesla in Shanghai/China
• XP7: Tesla in Grünheide/Germany

Curious about the differences between the various production sites? Here we have explained which factory delivers the best Tesla quality.

VIN decoder Tesla: Digit 4

The fourth digit of the chassis number specifies the vehicle model in question. This is relatively obvious for Tesla, as it is associated with the official model designations:

• S: Tesla Model S
• 3: Tesla Model 3
• X: Tesla Model X
• Y: Tesla Model Y
• R: Tesla Roadster
• T: Tesla Semi
• C: Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla VIN Decoder Model Y: Body type in digit 5

Digit number five indicates the body type and steering wheel position of the Tesla, whereby some letters can have several meanings. So there is a little more choice here:

• A: 5 doors, left-hand drive, hatchback (Model S) / sedan (Model 3)
• B: 5 doors, right-hand drive, hatchback (Model S) / sedan (Model 3) / cabin (Semi)
• C: 5 doors, left-hand drive, SUV
• D: 5 doors, right-hand drive, SUV
• E: left-hand drive, 4 doors, sedan (Model 3) / 3 doors, convertible (Roadster)
• F: 4 doors, right-hand drive, sedan
• G: 5 doors, left-hand drive, SUV crossover
• H: 5 doors, right-hand drive, SUV crossover

Tesla chassis number: safety arrives figure 6

With the sixth digit it gets complicated, because there is a lot to choose from. The number is used to encode information on the safety equipment installed - i.e. seat belts, airbags, detection systems and pedestrian protection.

• 1: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 3 rear), front airbags, knee airbags (front), side airbags, PODS
• 3: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 2 rear), front airbags, knee airbags (front), side airbags
• 4: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 2 rear), front airbags, knee airbags (front), side airbags
• 5: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 2 rear), front airbags, side airbags
• 6: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 3 rear), front airbags, side airbags
• 7: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 3 rear), front airbags, side airbags, active hood
• 8: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 2 rear), front airbags, side airbags, active bonnet
• A: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 3 second row, 2 third row), front airbags, knee airbags (front), side airbags, PODS
• B: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 2 second row, 2 third row), front airbags, knee airbags (front), side airbags, PODS
• C: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 2 second row, 2 third row), front airbags, side airbags, PODS
• D: Type 2 seat belts (2 front, 3 rear), front airbags, knee airbags (front), side airbags, PODS
• E: Tesla Semi only

PODS stands for "Passenger Occupant Detection System" and is a system that recognizes whether someone is sitting in a particular seat or not. The system communicates with the airbags and determines whether and with what force they are activated in the event of an accident.

The active hood is a pedestrian protection system. If a collision with a pedestrian is detected, the rear part of the hood is raised by 80 millimetres, making it more flexible. This reduces the risk of head injuries for the pedestrian.

By the way: Teslas are among the safest vehicles on the market and regularly receive top ratings in crash tests around the world. Read at Teslabs why the safety in the Tesla is so high.

Number 7: It is an electric car!

It is only at the seventh position of the Tesla VIN that it becomes really clear that this vehicle is an e-car - if you have not already recognized this from the manufacturer Tesla. Until 2013, this seventh digit was used to encode the type and power of the charging module; in all cars produced from 2014 onwards, the battery type is encoded with it.

• A: Charger with 10 kW charging power
• B: Charger with 20 kW charging capacity
• C: Charger with 10 kW charging power and DC fast charger
• D: Charger with 20 kW charging power and DC fast charger
• E: NMC/NCA battery (for cars produced in Shanghai). If digit 8 is "S", then BYD LFP battery (for non-Shanghai cars). Otherwise, E simply stands for "Electric"
• F: LFP battery. If digit 8 is "S", then the battery comes from CATL.
• H: NMC battery with high capacity (85 kWh)
• S: NMC battery with standard capacity (60 kWh)
• V: NMC battery with ultra-high capacity (90 kWh)

Figure 8: The motors

The eighth digit again offers plenty of choice. It's all about the motorization - and Tesla has installed a lot of different motors since it was founded. So it's no wonder that the eighth digit of the Tesla VIN can take on 21 different values. Let's take a look!

• 1: a standard AC induction motor, 3-phase
• 2: two standard AC induction motors, 3-phase
• 3: one performance AC induction motor, 3-phase
• 4: two performance AC induction motors, 3-phase
• 5: two motors (facelift Model S/X)
• 6: three engines (Model S/X Plaid)
• A: one standard or performance motor of the type "Wire Windings" (3#RP, Model 3)
• B: two standard motors of the type "Wire Windings" (3#DB, Model 3 or Semi)
• C: two "Wire Windings" type performance motors with 82 kWh battery (3#DP)
• D: one standard or performance motor of the "Wire Windings" type (Y#RP, Model Y)
• E: two standard motors of the type "Wire Windings" (Y#DB, Model Y)
• F: two performance motors of the type "Wire Windings" (Y#DP)
• G: not further specified motor, 51-60 kWh battery
• J: a standard/performance motor of the "Hairpin Windings" type (Y#RP, 3#RP)
• K: two standard motors of type "Hairpin Windings" (Y#DB, 3#DB)
• L: two performance motors of type "Hairpin Windings" (Y#DP, 3#DP)
• N: one standard motor, 81-90 kWh battery
• P: a performance motor, 81-90 kWh battery
• R: a standard motor of the "Wire Windings" type (Y#RB, 3#RB)
• S: a standard motor of the type "Hairpin Windings" (Y#RB, 3#RB)
• T: Two performance motors

Special digit 9: The check digit

The check digit can be found in the ninth position of the chassis number. This can be used to check the authenticity and correctness of the VIN - because if the VIN was subsequently changed or issued incorrectly, the check digit is no longer correct.

To obtain the check digit, all letters of the VIN are first replaced by numbers according to the table below. Each of the 16 numbers (VIN without the check digit) is then multiplied by a factor. This factor runs from 2 to 10 and again from 2 to 9, proceeding from right to left in the VIN.

The 17. The 16th digit of the VIN is therefore multiplied by 2. with 3, and so on. The ninth digit is multiplied by 10 before the eighth digit starts at 2 again. Finally, the very first digit of the VIN is taken 9 times. All the figures obtained in this way are added together. The resulting sum is divided by 11. The remainder (0 to 10) resulting from the division is the check digit of the VIN. If the remainder is ten, the check digit "X" is used.

So if you want to check the correctness of your VIN, carry out the above steps and check whether the result matches the check digit of your chassis number.

Digit 10: The model year

The model year of the vehicle is coded in the tenth position of the Tesla VIN. The current range extends from 2006 to 2025.

• 6: 2006
• 7: 2007
• 8: 2008
• 9: 2009
• A: 2010
• B: 2011
• C: 2012
• D: 2013
• E: 2014
• F: 2015
• G: 2016
• H: 2017
• J: 2018
• K: 2019
• L: 2020
• M: 2021
• N: 2022
• P: 2023
• R: 2024
• S: 2025

Digit 11: The place of manufacture in the eleventh position

The exact production location of the car is hidden behind the eleventh digit of the VIN. This is a little more detailed than numbers 1-3, which code the manufacturer and thus at least the country.

• 1: California, Menlo Park
• 3: United Kingdom, Hethel (Roadster)
• A: Texas, Austin
• B: Germany, Berlin/Grünheide
• C: China, Shanghai
• F: California, Fremont
• G: Germany, Berlin/Grünheide
• N: Nevada, Reno
• P: California, Palo Alto
• R: Development / Research

The six-digit serial number

The last six digits of the Tesla VIN are a unique serial number that uniquely identifies the individual vehicle. No two vehicles in the world have the same last six digits.

While the last five digits are used purely to identify the vehicle, the first digit of the serial number can still have a meaning if it is one of the following letters:

• A: Prototype stage Alpha
• B: Prototype stage beta
• E: Evaluation prototype (Roadster)
• F: Founder series (Roadster number 1 to 1000)
• M: Prototype drivable (Roadster)
• P: Production vehicle (only first 100.000 Model S)
• R: Release-Kandidat
• S: Signature series (first 1000 Model S/X)
• V: Validation prototype (Roadster)

If the first digit of the serial number has a different value (usually a number), it is a "normal" production vehicle.

Everything decrypted?

You've done it! You have reached the end and have been able to decode your Tesla VIN. You probably also learned a thing or two that you didn't know before, didn't you?

If you want to know more about Model 3, Model Y and Co. If you want to learn more about the Tesla, take a look at our blog or treat your Tesla to some useful accessories.

What experiences have you had with the VIN? Let us know in the comments below!