Tesla Delivery Guide: VIN Assignment and Tracking

When will you receive your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) for your ordered Tesla, and how will your car be delivered? These are questions many Tesla buyers ask themselves after placing their order. Tesla offers some unique tools to help you keep track of your vehicle, but there are some differences depending on the model and where the vehicle is manufactured. Typically, most deliveries in Europe take place at the end of a quarter. At the beginning of each quarter, Tesla focuses on producing cars for export, which takes into account transport times and ensures delivery before the end of the quarter. After that, priority is given to production for the domestic market.

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y from Gigafactory Shanghai

Currently, all rear-wheel drive variants of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are manufactured at the Gigafactory Shanghai. It is also possible that some Model Y Long Range will come from China during a transition period. These vehicles are shipped to Europe by boat, and ports of call include Koper in Slovenia, Barcelona in Spain, and Zeebrugge in Belgium.
VIN assignment usually occurs when the vehicle transits between Taiwan and Sri Lanka. Your VIN usually becomes visible in the Tesla app about 7 to 8 days before the vehicle is ready for pickup.

Approximate shipping times are as follows:

Tesla Model S and Model X from Gigafactory Fremont

After a hiatus of more than two years, Tesla once again began delivering Model S and Model X to Europe from December 2022. The cars are either shipped from San Francisco through the Panama Canal or transported by train from Fremont to Baltimore, from where they are then shipped to Zeebrugge in Belgium.

For these models, the VIN is usually assigned when the car is already in port in the United States. As with the Model 3 and Model Y, the VIN is visible in the app 7 to 8 days before delivery.

Approximate shipping times are as follows:

Tesla Model Y from Gigafactory Grünheide

Currently, the Model Y Long Range and Model Y Performance are manufactured in the Gigafactory Grünheide in Germany. Currently, only black and white are produced in Grünheide, but other colors such as Quicksilver and Midnight Cherry Red have recently started production and are exclusive to this factory. Once your Model Y is completed, the VIN is assigned, and delivery usually takes 7-10 days depending on your location.

How do I track my Tesla?

To know which vessel your Tesla is on and when it will arrive at the destination port, the delivery period and VIN assignment can provide indications. After the VIN has been assigned, you can often track the vessel with shipping companies such as Höegh and Glovis. Alternatively, your Tesla Sales Advisor can provide you with information on when and where your Tesla will arrive.

For more detailed tracking, we recommend following the thread "Information about the current tracking of Tesla ships" on the TFF forum (Tesla Drivers and Friends). There you will receive daily updates on the position of the Tesla ships and their route to Europe, which can help you keep track of your car while you wait.

Order a new Tesla and get benefits

If you have found this guide useful and are considering ordering a new Tesla, please use our referral link. You and we then receive credits that can be redeemed for, for example, free kilometers on the Tesla Supercharger network. This helps us continue to create useful content and share tips and tricks.