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Roadster production dates

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TEG

Teslafanatic
Moderator
Aug 20, 2006
22,101
9,490
On the Roadster VDS you can see the date the car was produced like this:
IMG_1647_1.jpg


There is also a date on the door sticker like this:
p314.jpg


I took some notes on production dates, and started trying to make a list to keep track of which Roadsters were made when.
But my list is so full of holes, I am extrapolating carelessly, so I could use some help in sorting it out and getting it more refined.
Can people look at their cars, and post updates so we can get the list completed?
If you don't want to post your VIN, you could just round up or down to the nearest xx5 or xx0...

So, here is what I put together so far, rather approximately...

5YJRE North American Roadster Production (not including prototypes).
2008 Production (1.5s):

MFG Date : VIN
Aug 2008 : 0001
Sep 2008 : 0025
Oct 2008 : 0050
Nov 2008 : 0100
Dec 2008 : 0140
Jan 2009 : 0185
Feb 2009 : 0235
Mar 2009 : 0300
Apr 2009 : 0400
May 2009 : -->
0484
0500 is a special "extra/last 2008"


5YJRE North American Roadster Production (not including prototypes).
2010 Production (mostly 2.0s, with some 2.5s later in the year. ):

Jun 2009 : 0501
Jul 2009 : 0550
Aug 2009 : 0600
Sep 2009 : 0650
Oct 2009 : 0710
Nov 2009 : 0750
Dec 2009 : 0800
Jan 2010 : 0850
Feb 2010 : 0900
Mar 2010 : 0920
Apr 2010 : 0950
May 2010 : 0970
(#964 was the approximate start of changeover from 2.0 to 2.5.)
Jun 2010 : 0980
Jul 2010 : 1001 (I think VIN #1000 was a special car produced out of sequence)
Aug 2010 : 1050
Sep 2010 : 1070
Oct 2010 : 1100
Nov 2010 : 1150
Dec 2010 : -->1169

(Note, some late 2010 models were 2.5s, and some earlier 2010s got some 2.5 parts retrofits re-branding them as "2.25s".)

5YJRE North American Roadster Production (not including prototypes).
2011 Production (2.5s):

Jan 2011 : 1170
Jan 2011 : 1200
Feb 2011 : 1230
Mar 2011 : 1260
Apr 2011 : 1290
May 2011 : 1320

Jun 2011 : 1360
Jul 2011 : 1380
Aug 2011 : 1400
Sep 2011 : 1440
Oct 2011 : -->1464?

It seems that there was a tendency to slow down in the last few months of the model year. Perhaps this was as they were starting to get things ready for production updates for the next year's version to start up.

Starting another list for
SFZRE European/Asian (non-North-American) Roadsters:

MFG Date : UK/HK VIN
Aug 2009 : 001
Sep 2009 : 025
Oct 2009 : 050
Nov 2009 : 075
Dec 2009 : 100
Jan 2010 : 130
Feb 2010 : 180
Mar 2010 : 210
Apr 2010 : 240
May 2010 : 270
Jun 2010 : 300
Jul 2010 : 330
Aug 2010 : 360
Sep 2010 : 390
Oct 2010 : 420
Nov 2010 : 440
Dec 2010 : 460
Jan 2011 : 480
Feb 2011 : 500
Mar 2011 : 530
Apr 2011 : 560

May 2011 : 600
Jun 2011 : 640
Jul 2011 : 720
Aug 2011 : 750
Sep 2011 : 780
 
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Congrats!

For VIN #33, the door tag says September 2008, while the VDS says 6 Oct, 2008. And we visited it at the factory on 13 Oct, 2008, from which it left the next day to the USA. Then we caught it pulling out of the garage in Menlo Park for its first test drive on 25 Oct, 2008, and took delivery on 31 Oct, 2008. Happy Halloween!
 
my list is so full of holes, I am extrapolating carelessly, so I could use some help in sorting it out and getting it more refined.

North American Roadster Production (not including prototypes) 2008 Production (1.5s):
Aug 2008 : 0001 ... Dec 2008 : 0100, Jan 2009 : 0200 ... May 2009 : 0400

North American Roadster Production (not including prototypes) 2010 Production (2.0s):
Jun 2009 : 0501 ... Dec 2009: 0800, Jan 2010: 0850 ... Jun 2010: 0980

North American Roadster Production (not including prototypes) 2011 Production (2.5s):
Nov 2010 1150 ... Jan 2011 1200 ...
Great start!

According to your list, Model Year 2008 (1.5) was produced from August 2008 through May 2009. Model Year 2010 (2.0) started production in June 2009. We all know that there was no Model Year 2009, at least not technically according to the VIN.

Similarly, you have Model Year 2010 (2.0) ending production some time after June 2010, with Model Year 2011 (2.5) starting on or before November 2010. I would like to suggest one of two things: either the 2.5 spanned 2010 and 2011, or the 2.5 started later than you indicate. I say this because 5YJRE1A3?A1001169 is a 2010 and 5YJRE1A3?B1001170 is a 2011. Maybe all you really need to do is add 2010 Production to the description of the 2.5s.

Note that my notes show VIN 0848 as a "2.25" - although I suppose this unofficial model will be hard to nail down.

It seems that there was a tendency to slow down in the last few months of the model year. Perhaps this was as they were starting to get things ready for production updates for the next year's version to start up.
I was told by Tesla Motors sales staff that orders slowed down in the winter months. Perhaps they adjusted to the market by slowing production to match demand. It's difficult to justify maintaining 'normal' pace when manufacturing transitions from prepaid orders to "on spec" cars.

I'm VIN 1150 with build date 11/27/10 on the vds. Didn't look on the door.
I assume that your VIN 1150 is a Model Year 2010, i.e., the full VIN would be something like 5YJRE1A3?A1001150, where the second 'A' indicates Model Year 2010.

Wow, busy Tesla on New Year's day.
I have a very strong suspicion that Tesla Motors had some reason to mark a lot of Roadsters with Jan 1, 2011 instead of some other date in 2010. Taxes? Regulations?
 
I will edit the first post to update as new information is provided.


I wasn't planning on trying to track "2.25s".
I suspect that some older 2.0s could have been converted to the 2.5 look, so the corresponding VINs could be scattered in the 2.0 sequence.

I asked about getting a new nose for a Roadster. Apparently it's a big deal. Not just some clips. New parts including wheel liners adds to $5000 after the cost of the nose. In the same conversation I was told Tesla did the 2.25 conversions cars before delivery but it can't (won't?) be done by them after the fact. Though we know of at least one owner here who was promised and got an update after his delivery,
 
Similarly, you have Model Year 2010 (2.0) ending production some time after June 2010, with Model Year 2011 (2.5) starting on or before November 2010. I would like to suggest one of two things: either the 2.5 spanned 2010 and 2011, or the 2.5 started later than you indicate.

No, it started earlier than November. As I recall, the 2.5 was formally announced on the day they went IPO, at the end of June, but some had already been built at that point.
 
No, it started earlier than November. As I recall, the 2.5 was formally announced on the day they went IPO, at the end of June, but some had already been built at that point.
Right. My point was that it might be inaccurate to refer to the "2.5" as a Model Year 2011, because the VIN numbers show both MY2010 and MY2011 for the 2.5

I suppose it's a bit hazy, since some 2010 VINs might have left the factory as 2.0 and been converted to 2.5 in Cali (is that possible?). Otherwise, I think it might be inaccurate to equate "2011 Production" with "2.5"
 
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5YJRE1A38A1001078 - Although my signature says it: this is a 2.5 Sport
VDS: September 29, 2010
Sticker: September 2010
Delivered: October 26, 2010


My Tesla Statuses were as follows
Sept 24 - "Your Roadster is in the Body Assembly factory"
Oct 11 - "Your Roadster is in the Chassis and Body Testing factory"
Oct 12 - my vehicle was in transit to Menlo Park.
It arrived in Meno Park Oct 16.
I'm just guessing, but I think the VDS date may be the date the battery is manufactured. I think the battery was assembled on the VDS date and waiting for my vehicle's arrival.
 
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...I'm just guessing, but I think the VDS date may be the date the battery is manufactured. I think the battery was assembled on the VDS date and waiting for my vehicle's arrival.

Anyone ever have the VDS date change? For instance, some people got a replacement battery pack... So did that change the VDS date?