Decode any Chinese vehicle VIN instantly. Understand WMI codes, extract manufacturer data, and get complete vehicle specifications for every Chinese brand.
Every Chinese vehicle VIN follows the international ISO 3779 standard with China-specific WMI codes. Here's how to read one:
Sample Chinese VIN (BYD)
All vehicles manufactured in China have a VIN starting with the letter "L" — this is the country code assigned to China under the ISO 3780 standard. The second and third characters identify the specific manufacturer and vehicle type.
The first 3 characters of a Chinese VIN (World Manufacturer Identifier) tell you exactly who made the vehicle
| WMI Code | Manufacturer | Type |
|---|---|---|
| LFV | FAW-Volkswagen | Joint Venture |
| LSV | SAIC Volkswagen | Joint Venture |
| LGX | BYD Auto | Domestic |
| L6T | Geely Auto | Domestic |
| LGWEE | Great Wall Motors | Domestic |
| LVVDB | Chery Automobile | Domestic |
| LNBSC | NIO | EV Startup |
| LSGJA | SAIC Motor / MG | State-Owned |
| LGXC | BYD (New Energy) | Domestic EV |
| LA9 | XPeng Motors | EV Startup |
| LJ1 | JAC Motors | State-Owned |
| LFP | FAW (Hongqi/Besturn) | State-Owned |
| LDC | Dongfeng Motor | State-Owned |
| LMG | GAC Motor | State-Owned |
| LSG | Changan Auto | State-Owned |
| LBV | Foton Motor | Commercial |
| LZZ | Sinotruk | Commercial |
| LRW | Li Auto | EV Startup |
Our VIN Decoder API extracts comprehensive vehicle information from any Chinese VIN. One API call returns all available data points.
While following international standards, Chinese VINs have unique characteristics
All Chinese-manufactured vehicles start with "L", making them immediately identifiable. This applies to both domestic brands and joint ventures.
Chinese joint ventures with foreign brands have unique WMI codes. For example, LFV = FAW-VW (Audi, VW made in China), LSV = SAIC-VW.
With dozens of new EV startups, China is rapidly expanding its WMI code registry. Our database is updated daily to include new manufacturers.
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