Number Of 2008 Cars?

[Pantera Dude]

Can anyone tell me how many 2008 cars were manufactured and why there are no 2009 cars?

Thanks

 

[vfx]

500
They were so behind on deliveries as the last 2008 (#500) was delivered in June of 2009 they just skipped the 2009 year. Tesla by the way prefers 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 instead of year designations.

 

[doug]

Can anyone tell me how many 2008 cars were manufactured and why there are no 2009 cars?

Thanks

There are maybe around 530 2008 model year Roadsters, called Roadster 1.5 (after an early drivetrain upgrade). TEG may have an exact number.
These include 27 Foundsers' Series cars, starting with Elon's P1/F1, and about 500 regular production cars, starting with a Signature 100 Series and ending with VIN500 (vfx's car). Then there were also a number of marketing cars that continued with a separate VIN sequence for Validation Prototypes, and were also later sold to customers.

So that makes some number greater than about 530, made up of three different VIN sequences.


There are no 2009 model year cars mainly because of production delays. (Here's a snapshot of Tesla production plans from May 2008: Program Update | Blog | Tesla Motors.)

The first "production" Roadster was delivered in Februrary of 2008 (Driving P1 | Blog | Tesla Motors), but the "100th" Roadster (VIN 81) wasn't delivered till December 2008 (Tesla Delivers 100th Roadster). Even though the majority of the 2008MY Roadsters were produced and delivered in 2009, Tesla continued to use the 2008MY designation because of the value ascribed to having a first model year car.

With Roadster 2.0 (which started deliveries around summer 2009), Tesla decided to go with a 2010MY designation rather than having a very short 2009MY.

 

[TEG]

Some of it is covered in these threads:
Roadster production dates
How many Roadsters will be produced?

Even though VFX got VIN#500 ("The last of the 2008s"), I think they may have not quite made it to VIN #500 before they "christened" his as #500.
He may well have been #485 if they had not done something special to give him the nice round # as the last one.

But, as Doug said, the total number produced is over 500 if you count the Founders' and VPs. (I don't count the early Engineering prototypes many of which were "2007s")

Also, some smallish number of 2008s made in North America got redirected overseas. Do you count ones that ended up in Germany, Norway, Dubai, Japan or Australia for instance?

 

[Pantera Dude]

Thanks guys!

 

[TEG]

VPs 1-14 were apparently 2007s.
Apparently VP15 never existed.
So, for 2008, we have VP16 to VP33 & VP201 = 19 2008 VPs
Plus the 27 Founders' cars.
So, 485+19+27= 531...
Not sure if that is exactly right, but probably close based on my recollection.

 

[The_User]

#314 is titled as a 2008, the dealer calls it a 2009 1.5 which was always a little strange to me until I read this thread. Good info!

 

[TEG]

Car history VIN search, auto history check at CARFAX Vehicle History Reports

 

[doug]

#314 is titled as a 2008, the dealer calls it a 2009 1.5 which was always a little strange to me until I read this thread. Good info!

2008 Model Year, but definitely manufactured in the 2009 calendar year. There are a couple other places where dates are placed on the Roadster. I think there's a sticker in the door jam, as well as a screen on the VDS. You might check those for fun.

 

[TEG]

2008 Model Year, but definitely manufactured in the 2009 calendar year. There are a couple other places where dates are placed on the Roadster. I think there's a sticker in the door jam...

Yes, here it is:

 

[vfx]

...
Even though VFX got VIN#500 ("The last of the 2008s"), I think they may have not quite made it to VIN #500 before they "christened" his as #500.
He may well have been #485 if they had not done something special to give him the nice round # as the last one.
...

There was some oddness at that time. I was told # 500 would be mine but later got a call saying "they" (I got the impression it was Lotus) did not want to make a # 500 as the last car and I was offered some 492 493 495 numbers. I was not too happy about this change and they were kind enough to revert back to the promise.

I too believe there are some holes in the the numbers as suggested above. TEG do you know of number 501? Number 516 is the closest number to mine I have seen.

 

[doug]

I have a shots of 2010MY VIN502 here: IMG_1263 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Taken at the end of May 2009, same time your car was being prepped.

 

[TEG]

TEG do you know of number 501? Number 516 is the closest number to mine I have seen.

Yeah, #501 is that Orange "Revolution Cleaners" first of the 2.0s as mentioned here:
#501 - Orange / Wrapped - Denver, CO

 

[vfx]

Yeah, #501 is that Orange "Revolution Cleaners" first of the 2.0s as mentioned here:
#501 - Orange / Wrapped - Denver, CO

Thanks Doug and TEG. The cars have all the different features from 1.5 to 2.0 and a price change of $16K.

 

[TEG]

Yeah, #501 has the 2010 2.x style push button "shifter" and power gauge (instead of tachometer).
Picture of #501 interior

 

[tennis_trs]

I have a shots of 2010MY VIN502 here: IMG_1263 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Taken at the end of May 2009, same time your car was being prepped.

A thread about #502:
My New Roadster 2.0 Sport