Tesla vehicles are assembled in California, Texas, China and Germany (plus Nevada for the Semi). The answer is encoded in position 11 of the VIN. The first three characters (the WMI) hint at the manufacturer’s region, but they are not a reliable indicator of the plant, so always read position 11.
Plant codes (position 11)
| Code | Plant | Location |
|---|---|---|
F | Fremont Factory | Fremont, California, USA |
A | Gigafactory Texas | Austin, Texas, USA |
C | Gigafactory Shanghai | Shanghai, China |
B | Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg | Grünheide, Germany |
N | Gigafactory Nevada | Sparks / Reno, Nevada, USA |
3 | Hethel | United Kingdom (original Roadster, built with Lotus) |
Manufacturer codes (positions 1–3)
| WMI | Typically |
|---|---|
5YJ | US passenger cars – Model S, 3, X, Y built in California |
7SA | Model X and Model Y (used since 2022 for Fremont and Austin builds) |
7G2 | US trucks – Cybertruck and Semi |
LRW | Gigafactory Shanghai – Model 3 and Model Y |
XP7 | Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg – Model Y |
SFZ | First-generation Roadster |
Which models come from which plant?
- Model S and Model X: Fremont.
- Model 3: Fremont and Shanghai.
- Model Y: Fremont, Austin, Shanghai and Berlin.
- Cybertruck: Austin.
- Semi: Nevada.
Why it matters
Where a Tesla was built can affect the battery chemistry, drive-unit hardware, trim of the interior and which markets it was designed for. If an advert says "US-built" but the VIN shows C (Shanghai) or B (Berlin), ask for an explanation. The reverse is also useful: an imported car with an American VIN may have different charging hardware than a locally built one.
Quirks
- A mismatch between the WMI and the plant (for example
LRWwith plantF) is unusual – TeslaVin flags it. - Reports suggest Shanghai and Berlin cars carry the calendar build year in position 10 rather than the model year.
- Development and prototype vehicles use codes such as
P(Palo Alto) andR(research), and their serial numbers often start with a letter.
Check a VIN: the TeslaVin decoder shows the plant, country and a warning if the plant, model and manufacturer code do not fit together.
