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Front license plate option

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dsm363

Roadster + Sig Model S
Moderator
May 17, 2009
19,146
882
Nevada
I posted this in the foundry bracket thread but thought it might be better here.
I understand that the Roadster 2.5 can come with a factory installed front bracket. I was told by Tesla that it's drilled into the black plastic insert, not the front bumper. Have any of the new Roadster 2.5 owners here picked this factory option? If so, could you post a picture? Thanks. I'm trying to decide if I want Tesla to do this or to buy the Foundry bracket from currentEVtech.com
 
My 2.5 came with the bracket in the trunk for me to install if I wish. I didn't put it on the car since I really didn't want to drill into the front grill. Installation really doesn't look like any big deal, but I decided to order the bracket from currentevtech.com that just attached to the tow hook bolt. The Tesla bracket mounts with three screws drilled into the grill along the top of the bracket. You then have to drill out the holes for the attachment of the license plate to the bracket. Attached are front and back pics of the bracket. The large hole is centered over where the tow hook bolt is located.

photo.jpg
photo(2).jpg
 
They have to say that because it's not their product, they haven't tested it, etc. We went through the same thing on the Corvette forum as GM's bracket required drilling into the bumper. An alternative was created that went into the grill area and GM warned that it would mess up airflow, etc. But I've been running it for over 4 years with no problem (granted I'm not in a hot climate but plenty of people in warmer places have run it without trouble. I would imagine it will be the same w/ the Roadster.

This is not my car:
bracket-c6p.jpg
 
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On my latest service call one of the rangers (thanks for the idea Larry) told me I should remove the bracket, which I had attached using a couple of fender washers and some old inner tube, and have a vinyl decal made of my license plate. I am waiting for the decal to be shipped from Houston. I'll affix the decal to the front bumper and post a picture when done.

He said that because of the heat issues I had been having.
 
The law says nothing on the matter... that being said I keep the original in behind the driver's seat just in case a police officer asks. In general my local police don't have a problem with it, I just worry about others that don't see it so progressively.

FYI my AC does work better after removal of the front, and very obstructive, bracket.
 
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Yeah. The DMV doesn't even have wording on their site saying that the plate has to be on the front bumper but that's how the law is currently defined. It is purposely left vague I believe which is not right. It also says nothing about the physical plate needing to be in front bumper but that's what the DMV said when I emailed them.
 
I recently e-mailed my reps for the Texas house and senate, that is if my messages will go through.

Subject: Texas laws regarding the display of the front license plate

During one of my weekly jaunts around town I saw many vehicles without a front plate and it got me thinking. My thought was could a vinyl decal serve the same purpose, preserve vehicle value, and increase compliance while also creating revenue for the state? I'd think that people would pay extra for the decals so they could still be compliant with the state laws without having the bracket on the front of their car. Personally I'd pay extra for it.

This has also come about because I was told to remove the front plate mount by the service team for my vehicle, which said at the time that it was obstructing air flow to the AC core. Thusly limiting the car's ability to cool it's battery pack. (Electric Vehicle)

Anxiously awaiting a reply,
William Petefish

We'll see what comes of this.
 
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I recently e-mailed my reps for the Texas house and senate
... I was told to remove the front plate mount by the service team for my vehicle, which said at the time that it was obstructing air flow to the AC core. Thusly limiting the car's ability to cool it's battery pack.
This is simply bad vehicle design; many states require front plates, so the car simply has to be designed to assume that we are going to comply with the laws.
 
Even worse is that it's not actually written anywhere that the front plate has to be on the front bumper (which is what the police enforce). The DMV website actually says you must have one front and one rear plate "placement not defined". The actual law doesn't specify that it has to be on the front bumper and no one at the DMV can find the wording that say so for me.
 
My roadster (bought used) came with a front plate installed using some sort of a bracket that bolted onto the under-side of the front bumper (above the grill, flat underside of the painted panel). It looks to be made specifically for this car, since it has molded in curves that match the bumper. Since I bought the car to NC which doesn't require a front plate, I unbolted it and wiped down the paint armor surface it was covering; now you'd never know it was there.