Wiki Decoding Tesla Model S VINs

[brianman]

@doug - I finally got around to finding the information that Matt references.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=tesla+site%3Anhtsa.gov
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/manufacture/lookup.cfm?d_565=on&d_566=on&d_wmi=on&d_brkhose=on&d_glazing=on&m_tires=on&d_tires=newtire&m_wmi=&m_city=&m_state=&m_zip=&m_prod=&m_id=&DoSearch=Start+Search&m_name=te
ftp://ftp.nhtsa.dot.gov/mfrmail/ORG8047.pdf


Release date: March 26th 2012

Some additional info from the PDF:

Digit 7 - Charger Type:

• A: 10 kW Charger
• B: 20 kW Charger
• C: 10 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge
• D: 20 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge

Digit 8 - Motor / Drive-unit & Battery Type:

• C: Base A/C Motor, Tier 2 battery (31-40 kWh)
• G: Base A/C Motor, Tier 4 battery (51-60 kWh)
• N: Base A/C Motor, Tier 7 battery (81-90 kWh)
• P: Performance A/C Motor, Tier 7 battery (81-90 kWh)

Digit 11 - Plant of Manufacture:

• F: Tesla - Fremont, CA (FRE)
• P: Tesla - Palo Alto, CA (PAO)

Digit 12 - Production Series:

• A: Alpha Prototype
• B: Beta Prototype
• R: Release candidate Vehicle
• P: Production Vehicle
• S: Signature Series Vehicle
• F: Founders Series Vehicle

Digits 13-17:

Tesla Motors uses sequential numbers in digits 13-17, starting with 00001, directly to represent the production sequence of the vehicle. The Production Sequence numbering does not start at 00001 with each new model year. Rather, the Production Sequence number for the first car of a given model year will be one more than the Production Sequence number of the last car of the previous model year.

In the event that Tesla builds more than 99,999 cars of a given model over the lifetime of that model, the next number after 99,999 will be A0,000, progressing through A9,999, then on to B0,000 and so on up to Z9,999 -- but not using the letters I, O, or Q along the way

This numbering system allows for up to 329,999 cars of a given model. Should this number be exceeded, the Production Sequence numbering shall start again at 00,000.

Further interpretation of digit 7...

• A: 10 kW Charger <= 40 kWh
• B: 20 kW Charger <= 40 kWh + Twin Chargers option
• C: 10 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge <= (60 or 85) kWh
• D: 20 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge <= (60 or 85) kWh + Twin Chargers option

Not sure if I got that right, but that's my guess off the cuff.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Further interpretation of digit 7...

• A: 10 kW Charger <= 40 kWh
• B: 20 kW Charger <= 40 kWh + Twin Chargers option
• C: 10 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge <= (60 or 85) kWh
• D: 20 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge <= (60 or 85) kWh + Twin Chargers option

Not sure if I got that right, but that's my guess off the cuff.

"B" would also be used on a 60kWh car that didn't opt to pay the $1000 or $2000 upcharge to access supercharging.

This numbering system allows for up to 329,999 cars of a given model. Should this number be exceeded, the Production Sequence numbering shall start again at 00,000.

LOL. This won't be a problem for a while!

 

[TEG]

View attachment 11673

Wow, nice reflection in the windshield along with a clear VIN plate image!

 

[brianman]

"B" would also be used on a 60kWh car that didn't opt to pay the $1000 or $2000 upcharge to access supercharging.
[/I]

Is that official? I thought it was not yet public information whether supercharging on 60kWh involved hardware differences.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Given that it's a one-time, now-or-never decision, it could be encoded in the VIN.

 

[brianman]

Given that it's a one-time, now-or-never decision, it could be encoded in the VIN.

Not sure that's true. You could classify the choice of wheels the same way. Anywho, guess we'll see.

 

[aviators99]

Digit 7 does specify whether or not DC fast charging is enabled or not, according to the docs submitted to the DOT. So why do you think that it doesn't really mean that? Also, I think a 60kWh w/o SC could be A *or* B, depending on whether or not twin chargers are installed.

 

[brianman]

Digit 7 does specify whether or not DC fast charging is enabled or not, according to the docs submitted to the DOT. So why do you think that it doesn't really mean that? Also, I think a 60kWh w/o SC could be A *or* B, depending on whether or not twin chargers are installed.

I think you're misunderstanding. I'm not suggesting the PDF is incorrect. I'm suggesting that all 60 kWh my be "w/DC fast charge" in the hardware sense but that the supercharger may require payment (perhaps via yearly or lifetime subscription) to use. I'm not suggesting we know this to be the case, but rather that we don't (yet?) know it to not be the case.

 

[aviators99]

I think you're misunderstanding. I'm not suggesting the PDF is incorrect. I'm suggesting that all 60 kWh my be "w/DC fast charge" in the hardware sense but that the supercharger may require payment (perhaps via yearly or lifetime subscription) to use. I'm not suggesting we know this to be the case, but rather that we don't (yet?) know it to not be the case.

Gotcha. That makes sense.

 

[brianman]

BTW, as people were reporting their configurations in the other threads it hit me:

For the "generic car enthusiast" experts in our midst, is it unusual to not include the air suspension (vs. not) in the VIN encoding?

 

[mattjs33]

BTW, as people were reporting their configurations in the other threads it hit me:

For the "generic car enthusiast" experts in our midst, is it unusual to not include the air suspension (vs. not) in the VIN encoding?

Not really. In the U.S., the NHTSA has insisted since MY2010 that the restraint system be noted explicity in the VIN. This has limited the number of remaining digits available for the manufacturers' use to describe the vehicle further. They're down to four digits to describe the vehicle now. Since the model and engine are typically also coded in those four, it's unusual to see a manufacturer use a VIN digit for something as specific as suspension type. Usually you will see body type or trim levels coded there, things that really affect what the car is.

Lamborghini codes transmission type (manual or E-Gear) in their VINs, providing a bit of fun for hard-core VIN hunters such as myself, but this is pretty atypical.

What is interesting to me is that Tesla has fallen in line with typical U.S. manufacturer practice of making digit 8 code the engine (motor obviously in this case).

 

[doug]

This numbering system allows for up to 329,999 cars of a given model. Should this number be exceeded, the Production Sequence numbering shall start again at 00,000.

LOL. This won't be a problem for a while!

A while back I spoke with a guy responsible for coming up with the Model S VIN scheme. He said one thing they were trying to do is not have too many repeats in the Production Sequence numbering.

With only 2400 (or whatever) total Roadsters, it was already a headache to know which car someone was talking about. If for example someone said Roadster VIN 22, that could refer to at least four different customer cars (Founders' Series, US Signature Series, customer sold marketing VP, EU series).

So besides another Founders' Series, the goal with the Model S VINs was to have the Production Sequence more or less unique world wide. This is why the demo cars (which I suppose might be sold in the future) started with VIN P01201, since the North American Signature Series was to end at VIN S01200. This makes me wonder what's happening with the tail end of the Signature Series. Due to the "dreaded 28" some Sigs are getting higher VINs than originally planned. Will those VINs get Production Sequence numbers higher than the demo cars or will they simply overlap some Ss with Ps there?

 

[gregincal]

A while back I spoke with a guy responsible for coming up with the Model S VIN scheme. He said one thing they were trying to do is not have too many repeats in the Production Sequence numbering.

With only 2400 (or whatever) total Roadsters, it was already a headache to know which car someone was talking about. If for example someone said Roadster VIN 22, that could refer to at least four different customer cars (Founders' Series, US Signature Series, customer sold marketing VP, EU series).

So besides another Founders' Series, the goal with the Model S VINs was to have the Production Sequence more or less unique world wide. This is why the demo cars (which I suppose might be sold in the future) started with VIN P01201, since the North American Signature Series was to end at VIN S01200. This makes me wonder what's happening with the tail end of the Signature Series. Due to the "dreaded 28" some Sigs are getting higher VINs than originally planned. Will those VINs get Production Sequence numbers higher than the demo cars or will they simply overlap some Ss with Ps there?

Except it's now clear that only US sigs are up to 1200. There has been a report of a Canadian sig with VIN 2001, so they skipped higher.

 

[doug]

Except it's now clear that only US sigs are up to 1200. There has been a report of a Canadian sig with VIN 2001, so they skipped higher.

Interesting. But why so much higher? Did they leave a gap, or had they actually built that many P cars before finishing the Sigs?

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I got vin # 5YJSA1CP6CFP01538
P1722
spoke w/ DS and he said anytime this weekend if I can!

 

[Robert.Boston]

I'm 5YJSA1CN4CFP01536. (85kWh single charger, non-performance). Interesting to see that the VIN # (1536) is an anagram of my sequence # (1635). Coincidence?

 

[brianman]

Interesting to see that the VIN # (1536) is an anagram of my sequence # (1635). Coincidence?

Yes .

 

[brianman]

I think you're misunderstanding. I'm not suggesting the PDF is incorrect. I'm suggesting that all 60 kWh my be "w/DC fast charge" in the hardware sense but that the supercharger may require payment (perhaps via yearly or lifetime subscription) to use. I'm not suggesting we know this to be the case, but rather that we don't (yet?) know it to not be the case.

Somehow I forgot about or never carefully read this post. Doesn't it basically say what I was theorizing (all 60 kWh have supercharger hardware support)?

We decided to include the necessary hardware in all cars (both 60 and 85 kWh cars) to allow Supercharging to be enabled at a later date. This would give anyone who finalized a 60 kWh car the option to include Supercharging after the Supercharger Event in September. I believe including the hardware was a good decision. In hindsight, I think how we communicated activation details was not aggressive enough and the assumptions we made were incorrect.

So again, A or B for digit 7 is only for 40 kWh vehicles:

Digit 7 - Charger Type:

• A: 10 kW Charger
• B: 20 kW Charger
• C: 10 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge
• D: 20 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge

Further interpretation of digit 7...

• A: 10 kW Charger <= 40 kWh
• B: 20 kW Charger <= 40 kWh + Twin Chargers option
• C: 10 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge <= (60 or 85) kWh
• D: 20 kW Charger, w/DC fast charge <= (60 or 85) kWh + Twin Chargers option

 

[Robert.Boston]

I was reading GeorgeB's statement to mean that on SC hardware would be included only on those cars that had already entered the production stages, inasmuch as they hadn't had a chance to discuss that choice with the future owner. Time will tell.

 

[jerry33]

I was reading GeorgeB's statement to mean that on SC hardware would be included only on those cars that had already entered the production stages, inasmuch as they hadn't had a chance to discuss that choice with the future owner. Time will tell.

That was how I read it too.