Is this Model 3 or Model Y AI3 (HW3) or AI4 (HW4)?
It depends on the model, model year and factory, and near a changeover only the car can settle it. A used Tesla Model 3 from model year 2024 on (the redesigned car) has AI4. A Model Y from model year 2022 or earlier has AI3. Model Ys built from mid 2023 to early 2024 can go either way: on the car’s screen, Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information lists the computer.
Which Model 3s have AI3 and which have AI4?
Model year 2024 and later Model 3s (the redesign) have AI4 from the start. Model 3s from model years 2020 to 2023 have AI3. The exception is the oldest cars: US-built Model 3s moved from the older HW2.5 computer to HW3 around March to April 2019, and some Shanghai-built cars from late 2019 to mid 2020 shipped with HW2.5. So a model year 2019 Fremont car, or an early Shanghai car, comes back as Check the car.
Which Model Ys have AI3 and which have AI4?
Every Model Y from model year 2022 or earlier has AI3. After that it depends on the factory, the 11th character of the VIN:
- Fremont (F) and Austin (A): the two computers were mixed from about late May 2023 to January 2024.
- Berlin (B): changed over around December 2023 to February 2024.
- Shanghai (C): Tesla said all Shanghai-built Model Ys had AI4 from February 2024.
A model year usually covers builds from October of the year before through December, so a 2023 Fremont or Austin Model Y straddles the change and shows Check the car. A 2024 one shows Very likely AI4, and 2025 and later shows Confirmed.
How do I confirm the computer on the car?
On the touchscreen, go to Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information and read the computer listed there. The build month also helps: it’s on the label in the driver’s door frame, not in the VIN. Valette lets you add that date, which can turn a Check the car into a firm answer.
Does AI3 vs AI4 matter when buying used?
It’s about future-proofing more than today’s driving. AI3 and AI4 both run Autopilot today, and AI4 has sharper cameras and more computing headroom for future software. Buy the newest computer you can, but don’t pay a big premium for AI4 on promises: judge the car on what it does now. Valette reports which hardware the car likely has, not which software features it’s entitled to.
Check a specific car
Valette reads the VIN for you. On iPhone, scan the barcode in the driver’s door frame or type the VIN, and it shows the likely answers for that model year and factory, each marked Confirmed, Very likely or Check the car. Free, no account, no ads, and the iPhone app works offline.
On the App Store Or check a VIN in your browserBuild windows come from published reporting and community documentation of Model 3 and Model Y production. Dates are approximate, and cars built near a change can go either way. Always confirm on the car.