# VINdata.io

> European VIN decoding and automotive data platform for car dealers, exporters, and automotive professionals. Provides instant vehicle specifications, equipment lists, EV battery data, service history, and AI-powered vehicle insights from a single VIN or license plate.

VINdata.io decodes 17-character Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and license plates (FR, ES, IT, PT) for 31+ European brands. Reports include factory specifications, optional equipment, EV-specific data (battery capacity, charging speeds, range), and AI-interpreted variant descriptions. The platform serves dealerships, exporters, and private buyers across 12 languages.

## Core features

- [VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/): Single VIN decoding with full equipment list, EV specs, and AI variant interpretation
- [Bulk VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/bulk): Batch decode up to thousands of VINs with CSV/Excel/PDF export (admin-tier)
- [Supported Brands](https://vindata.io/brands): 31 supported manufacturers including BMW, Audi, Mercedes, VW, Volvo, Polestar, Tesla, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia
- [Example Report](https://vindata.io/example): Full sample VIN report demonstrating data depth (BMW i4 M50)
- [API Documentation](https://vindata.io/api-docs): REST API endpoint reference, request/response examples, and rate limits
- [API Documentation](https://vindata.io/docs/api): Complete REST API reference with OpenAPI 3.1 spec, code examples (cURL/JS/Python/PHP) and live playground
- [API Overview](https://vindata.io/api): Marketing overview of the VINdata REST API
- [Docs](https://vindata.io/docs): Developer docs hub
- [AI Integration](https://vindata.io/ai): AI-powered vehicle chat expert and ad description generator (multilingual)
- [About](https://vindata.io/about): Company background and mission
- [Contact](https://vindata.io/contact): Support and sales contact form
- [Privacy](https://vindata.io/privacy): GDPR-compliant privacy policy
- [vs Partslink24](https://vindata.io/alternatives/partslink24): Why dealers and exporters pick VINdata.io over the legacy Partslink24 OEM portal
- [vs 7zap](https://vindata.io/alternatives/7zap): VINdata.io as the API-first, structured-data alternative to 7zap's parts catalog
- [vs Carfax](https://vindata.io/alternatives/carfax): European factory-spec VIN decoding as a complement and alternative to Carfax history reports
- [Pricing](https://vindata.io/#pricing): Free (1 lookup), Starter (5/month), Pro (unlimited)

## API for developers

VINdata.io exposes a REST API so dealer management systems (DMS), marketplaces, valuation tools, and AI agents can decode VINs programmatically.

- [API Documentation](https://vindata.io/api-docs): Full endpoint reference, request/response examples, and rate limits
- Authentication: `x-api-key` header with a `vd_live_` key (issued from the user dashboard)
- Base URL: `https://vindata.io/api`
- Key endpoints:
  - POST /vin-decode — decode a single 17-character VIN, returns make/model/variant, equipment, EV specs, and AI-interpreted variant
  - Bulk decoding available on Pro/Enterprise plans
- Response format: JSON with normalized fields (`make`, `model`, `variant`, `year`, `battery_gross_kwh`, `range`, equipment booleans, etc.)
- Rate limits and monthly quotas tied to subscription plan; usage visible in the dashboard

## MCP (Model Context Protocol) support

VINdata.io is designed to be consumed by AI agents and LLM-based tools. The REST API is structured for easy wrapping as an MCP server, enabling assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor to decode VINs as a tool call.

- Recommended setup: build a thin MCP server (e.g. with [mcp-lite](https://github.com/fiberplane/mcp-lite) or the official MCP SDK) that exposes a `decode_vin` tool calling `POST https://vindata.io/api/vin-decode` with the user's `vd_live_` key
- Suggested tool schema: `{ vin: string (17 chars, no I/O/Q) }` → returns the JSON payload from the VIN endpoint
- Use cases: AI sales assistants drafting listings, agentic valuation tools, automated trade-in chatbots, lead enrichment workflows
- A hosted MCP endpoint is on the roadmap — contact support@vindata.io for early access

## Brand-specific landing pages

- [BMW VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/bmw)
- [Audi VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/audi)
- [Mercedes VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/mercedes)
- [Volkswagen VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/volkswagen)
- [Volvo VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/volvo)
- [Polestar VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/polestar)
- [Toyota VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/toyota)
- [Peugeot VIN Lookup](https://vindata.io/vin-lookup/peugeot)
- Full list of 31 brands at [/brands](https://vindata.io/brands)

## Company

- [About](https://vindata.io/about): Company background and mission
- [Contact](https://vindata.io/contact): Support and sales contact form
- [Privacy](https://vindata.io/privacy): GDPR-compliant privacy policy
- Support email: support@vindata.io

## Technical notes for AI assistants

- VINs must be exactly 17 alphanumeric characters (no I, O, Q)
- License plate lookups supported for France, Spain, Italy, Portugal
- Platform is fully localized in 12 languages: Danish, English, German, French, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Finnish, Czech
- Data sources: factory APIs enriched with Anthropic Claude for variant interpretation
- Tesla and some grey-market vehicles may return partial data