Model 3 VINs come from two plants: Fremont (WMI 5YJ) and Shanghai (LRW). That is why position 11 matters more than the first three characters when you want to know where a particular car was built. Single-motor cars use the codes A, J, R or S in position 8 and dual-motor cars B, K, C or L; the newer drive-unit codes (R, S, T) are described differently by different community sources, so TeslaVin marks them as “Likely” or “Uncertain” instead of presenting them as fact.
How a Tesla Model 3 VIN is built
Every Tesla Model 3 VIN has 17 characters. Compact executive sedan, introduced with VINs from model year 2017. Its VIN starts with 5YJ (Fremont), LRW (Shanghai) and has the model code 3 in position 4. The rest of the structure is explained in our position-by-position guide.
Body type and steering side (position 5)
| Code | Body | Steering | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
E | 4-door sedan | Left-hand drive | Confirmed |
F | 4-door sedan | Right-hand drive | Confirmed |
Motor and drivetrain codes (position 8)
| Code | Drivetrain | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
A | Single motor, wire-wound · RWD | Confirmed |
B | Dual motor, wire-wound · AWD | Confirmed |
C | Dual motor Performance, wire-wound · AWD | Confirmed |
J | Single motor, hairpin-wound · RWD | Confirmed |
K | Dual motor, hairpin-wound · AWD | Confirmed |
L | Dual motor Performance, hairpin-wound · AWD | Confirmed |
R | Single motor · RWD | Likely |
S | Single motor, newer drive unit · RWD | Likely |
T | Performance dual motor (Highland, unconfirmed) | Uncertain |
Single-motor cars use A, J, R, S; dual-motor or tri-motor cars use B, C, K, L, T.
Battery code (position 7)
E means a lithium-ion pack (NMC/NCA) and F means lithium iron phosphate (LFP). Read more in LFP vs NMC batteries.
Where it is built (position 11)
| Code | Plant | Location |
|---|---|---|
F | Fremont Factory | Fremont, California, USA |
C | Gigafactory Shanghai | Shanghai, China |
Model year (position 10)
The tenth character is the model year, for example L = 2020, N = 2022, P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026. See the full table.
Example
The VIN 5YJ3E1EA2KF317000 is a synthetic Tesla Model 3 example. See how it decodes.
Frequently asked questions
What does the 4th character of a Tesla Model 3 VIN mean?
It is the model code. For the Model 3 it is "3". Together with the manufacturer code in positions 1–3 (5YJ (Fremont), LRW (Shanghai)) it identifies the car as a Tesla Model 3.
Where is the Tesla Model 3 built?
According to the plant code in position 11, Model 3 cars are built at: Fremont Factory (Fremont, California, USA); Gigafactory Shanghai (Shanghai, China).
How can I tell from the VIN if a Tesla Model 3 is single-motor or dual-motor?
Look at the 8th character. Single-motor codes are A, J, R, S; dual-motor or multi-motor codes are B, C, K, L, T. Note that the code does not map reliably to retail trim names such as Long Range.