Before the Tesla Gigafactory in Grünheide near Berlin went on a two-week break for renovation last Friday evening, it still gave observers some material to puzzle over. At the end of June, the Model Y in the Long Range (LR) version, which had previously come to Europe from the Tesla factory in China, also appeared on the site for the first time. According to information from teslamag.de they were first regarding 40 Model Y LR from Grünheide for the rental company Sixt planned, but more also arrived at various Tesla locations in Germany last week. There they are apparently supposed to serve as demonstration vehicles – but two private customers have already reported the allocation of a Model Y LR from the local factory. Update: In fact, according to their own statements, both got their electric car on Friday (see below).
German Model Y LR spreads
Until last weekend, visitors discovered Model Y LR from the Gigafactory near Berlin at at least three Tesla locations in Germany. From the outside they differ from the performance version by the smaller rims and the missing spoiler lip at the rear. The origin and variant can be identified more precisely by the vehicle identification number, which can be found on the windshield, for example: XP7 at the front means from Grünheide and the K in the eighth place means two standard engines (the performance version has an F there). .
This data was checked by the curious on-site according to their information, so that it can be considered confirmed that some German Model Y LR have already made it to the rest of the republic. On Monday, two more were reported on Twitter from the Tesla center in Holzwickede near Dortmund, and teslamag.de heard that at least one of these Model Ys had arrived at two other locations in Germany. The photo above is from a reader who made his LR discovery on Sunday in Ottersberg near Bremen.
I've just been to SeC Holzwickede. there is a Model Y LR in white with 19" rims from the GF4 in the showroom. In addition, the same Y MIG model was delivered with the "sorry I'm sold" sign. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any pictures, so I kept to it.
— Niklas (@Niklas_1E) July 11, 2022
Tesla is apparently in the process of supplying its German agencies with Model Y Long Range from local production. According to statements from informed circles, they are intended as demonstration vehicles, although it is not clear why Chinese Model Ys are not still used for this purpose. But the LRs from Grünheide are obviously not exclusively for internal use anyway, because this week at least two German customers have already received a VIN allocation for one of the long-range versions from there.
Two Tesla customers with VIN for Grünheide
Both reported in the Forum Tesla Drivers and Friends (TFF), the first on Monday and the second on Tuesday. The member Model3_Neuling wrote that following several postponements of the expected delivery date, they have now received a VIN and published it in an abbreviated form with the K for long range in eighth place. The electric car is now to be delivered in Renningen between July 11th and 17th. On Tuesday morning, Newbee reported similar information: his model Y LR, originating in Grünheide according to the VIN, should come into his hands in Bielefeld in the same period.
Update: At least these two Model Y LR from the German Gigafactory are now actually with their private customers. In the TFF both reported on Friday that they had taken over the car from Tesla as planned. Model3_Neuling was told that his was the first German Model Y LR to be delivered at the Renningen site. According to him, it has the same seats as the performance version from Grünheide and a better chassis than the Model Y LR from China.
Even before the conversion break, Tesla apparently produced at least some Model Y LR for private customers in the German factory. The reasons for this might not initially be found out. Whether there will be more of them if the Gigafactory will significantly increase production following the conversion as planned, it will show. In any case, Tesla employees in sales only expected VIN allocations on a larger scale following three to four weeks, was heard from their environment. They should not have any information themselves regarding whether the expected Model Y LR will come from China or Germany.