Hello Fellow Utahns who have recently ordered / received their Model S, as well as Utahns who are thinking about buying a Model S.
In Utah, we do not have a Tesla Store/Showroom/Gallery/Information Station, nor do we have a service center. But, owning a Tesla here is wonderful, and the process of getting it here is easy. Here are a few tips and tricks I learned through our Model S purchase which perhaps you will find useful. Some of this information is very Utah specific. The latter stuff less so and is found in other threads as well, but helps to have consolidated in one place.
Also, other Utah Tesla owners, please feel free to post with the things you have learned as well.
1. Getting and registering the car is actually quite simple, but there are a few steps which are worth knowing to prevent repeat trips to the DMV.
Utah is a self registration state:
- First, do all the paperwork, work with Tesla, schedule transport, and get the car, use the temporary CA registration tag.
- Then you need to get the VIN inspection done. To do this, fill out your part of this form: http://tax.utah.gov/forms/current/tc-661.pdf , then call your local police department and schedule to have them come inspect the car and sign off.
Then take to the DMV:
- VIN inspection paper (done above),
- your paperwork from Tesla (including the "bill of sale", I sent this form http://tax.utah.gov/forms/current/tc-843.pdf to have Tesla fill out and return, I'm not sure they do it automatically.),
- your driver's license,
- your proof of insurance,
- and your credit card to pay registration and taxes (varies by your city of registration) to the DMV.
- if you also have the title (depending on if Tesla sends it to you or your bank), they will give you your plates on the spot. If your title needs to go through your financing institution first, they will give you a temporary license and you get the plates when the title clears
2. Utah allows you to drive your Model S solo in the HOV lane with a clean car decal.
Once you have your permanent plates, you can register for your decal here.
Fill out the form, link at the bottom of the page, (I could not get it to send from Firefox (Mac), though Chrome worked fine) then they send you approval with a link to pay a $10 registration fee. Takes about 3 days after paying to get the decal in the mail. The decal goes on the front windshield to the right of the rear-view mirror. Also, you must keep the "permit" in your car with your registration for the decal to be active. After that, you can drive in the HOV lane all by your lonesome in your beautiful Model S (or Roadster)!
3. Tinting
If you got the rear facing seats (we have 3 young children) you will definitely want to get the rear hatch tinted, as the kids have complained about both glare and heat back there.
There are several Model S tint threads, including pictures that are worth reading through to see how different brands and depths of tint look on the Model S. Utah's window tinting law dictates that the front door windows allow for at least 43% visible light transmission, the windshield can only be tinted to the AS1 line, and you can go as dark as you want on the back doors and rear glass.
We had ProTint do the tinting for our Model S. We chose the 3M crystalline tint, as it has the best heat blocking properties. We went with crystalline 40 for the rear glass and the rear passenger windows. We went with the crystalline 50 for the front door windows. ProTint did a fabulous job, and I would definitely recommend them. They charge $600 for the 3M crystalline, they also carry Solar Gard's Ultra Performance for $300 if you want to go a little less expensive. While there I also had ProTint add additional clear bra protection to Telsa's factory paint armor. I had them remove the 40% on the hood (we have a blue Model S, and that line always looked terrible with a very visible line about 20 min after any given wash) and do the full hood, right and left fenders including the A pillar to the top of the door, and the headlights. Basically, this added the remaining frontal surface of the car not covered by the factory pain armor, and the only piece they removed was the partial hood. Total cost for the added paint protection was $750, and it looks awesome!
4. Other odds and ends
-For the touch screen, I got the Nushield, as per this thread, and Use code KPR%10 to get 10% off your NuShield order (per carrerascott). The screen is very easy to install, hides finger prints better then without, and is invisible once on (you have to look very closely to find the edges of the film around the edge of the touch screen).
-I ordered carrerascott's consolidated manuals to make the glove box more tidy. He did a great job, sells them at cost.
5. Service
We are in the Denver Service Center area. Rob, Luke, and Casey are great to work with, you'll love them.
As there isn't a Tesla Service center here in Utah, we are all in the 1 out of 10 Tesla owners who do not live within 100 miles of a Tesla Service center. Given that we went with the "4 year anywhere" service package with unlimited ranger visits (that's just us, you'll want to look over each of the packages, as well as the option to pay as you go, and determine which will be best for you).
6. Have a blast!
The Model S is pure fun to drive, you're going to love it!
I'll look forward to seeing your Model S on our Utah roads!
In Utah, we do not have a Tesla Store/Showroom/Gallery/Information Station, nor do we have a service center. But, owning a Tesla here is wonderful, and the process of getting it here is easy. Here are a few tips and tricks I learned through our Model S purchase which perhaps you will find useful. Some of this information is very Utah specific. The latter stuff less so and is found in other threads as well, but helps to have consolidated in one place.
Also, other Utah Tesla owners, please feel free to post with the things you have learned as well.
1. Getting and registering the car is actually quite simple, but there are a few steps which are worth knowing to prevent repeat trips to the DMV.
Utah is a self registration state:
- First, do all the paperwork, work with Tesla, schedule transport, and get the car, use the temporary CA registration tag.
- Then you need to get the VIN inspection done. To do this, fill out your part of this form: http://tax.utah.gov/forms/current/tc-661.pdf , then call your local police department and schedule to have them come inspect the car and sign off.
Then take to the DMV:
- VIN inspection paper (done above),
- your paperwork from Tesla (including the "bill of sale", I sent this form http://tax.utah.gov/forms/current/tc-843.pdf to have Tesla fill out and return, I'm not sure they do it automatically.),
- your driver's license,
- your proof of insurance,
- and your credit card to pay registration and taxes (varies by your city of registration) to the DMV.
- if you also have the title (depending on if Tesla sends it to you or your bank), they will give you your plates on the spot. If your title needs to go through your financing institution first, they will give you a temporary license and you get the plates when the title clears
2. Utah allows you to drive your Model S solo in the HOV lane with a clean car decal.
Once you have your permanent plates, you can register for your decal here.
Fill out the form, link at the bottom of the page, (I could not get it to send from Firefox (Mac), though Chrome worked fine) then they send you approval with a link to pay a $10 registration fee. Takes about 3 days after paying to get the decal in the mail. The decal goes on the front windshield to the right of the rear-view mirror. Also, you must keep the "permit" in your car with your registration for the decal to be active. After that, you can drive in the HOV lane all by your lonesome in your beautiful Model S (or Roadster)!
3. Tinting
If you got the rear facing seats (we have 3 young children) you will definitely want to get the rear hatch tinted, as the kids have complained about both glare and heat back there.
There are several Model S tint threads, including pictures that are worth reading through to see how different brands and depths of tint look on the Model S. Utah's window tinting law dictates that the front door windows allow for at least 43% visible light transmission, the windshield can only be tinted to the AS1 line, and you can go as dark as you want on the back doors and rear glass.
We had ProTint do the tinting for our Model S. We chose the 3M crystalline tint, as it has the best heat blocking properties. We went with crystalline 40 for the rear glass and the rear passenger windows. We went with the crystalline 50 for the front door windows. ProTint did a fabulous job, and I would definitely recommend them. They charge $600 for the 3M crystalline, they also carry Solar Gard's Ultra Performance for $300 if you want to go a little less expensive. While there I also had ProTint add additional clear bra protection to Telsa's factory paint armor. I had them remove the 40% on the hood (we have a blue Model S, and that line always looked terrible with a very visible line about 20 min after any given wash) and do the full hood, right and left fenders including the A pillar to the top of the door, and the headlights. Basically, this added the remaining frontal surface of the car not covered by the factory pain armor, and the only piece they removed was the partial hood. Total cost for the added paint protection was $750, and it looks awesome!
4. Other odds and ends
-For the touch screen, I got the Nushield, as per this thread, and Use code KPR%10 to get 10% off your NuShield order (per carrerascott). The screen is very easy to install, hides finger prints better then without, and is invisible once on (you have to look very closely to find the edges of the film around the edge of the touch screen).
-I ordered carrerascott's consolidated manuals to make the glove box more tidy. He did a great job, sells them at cost.
5. Service
We are in the Denver Service Center area. Rob, Luke, and Casey are great to work with, you'll love them.
As there isn't a Tesla Service center here in Utah, we are all in the 1 out of 10 Tesla owners who do not live within 100 miles of a Tesla Service center. Given that we went with the "4 year anywhere" service package with unlimited ranger visits (that's just us, you'll want to look over each of the packages, as well as the option to pay as you go, and determine which will be best for you).
6. Have a blast!
The Model S is pure fun to drive, you're going to love it!
I'll look forward to seeing your Model S on our Utah roads!