Front license plate options?

[Todd Burch]

Where I live (Virginia), unfortunately license plates are required to be mounted to the front of the vehicle. Franz never did address the oft-asked front license plate mounting question, but looking at the front end design I only see two potential areas to mount it:

1. The solid part of the grille, right below the Tesla logo
2. Centered over the lower air intake.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of any of these options. Ugh. The thought of drilling into the bumper of my new $70k car to mount an ugly white rectangle makes me sick.

After doing a little web research I've found that people generally don't get away with ignoring this law and leaving the front plate off.

I'm not sure how detrimental mounting a plate over part of the air intake would be, but I see it at least as a possibility.

So which of these two mounting locations would you prefer?
Option 1:


or Option 2:


It's like choosing between crap and crappier...

Edit: I wonder if this mounting bracket on a BMW might work...

[Doug_G]

I'd say the lower position looks better, but as you say it's very dubious that Tesla would want you mounting it in front of the air intake.

The whole thing is pretty annoying, as we're right on the border with Quebec. Thousands of single-plated cars cross the river from Quebec every day...

[vfx]

Plate looks too small.

Unfortunately.

[NigelM]

So which of these two mounting locations would you prefer?

Option 3. Move to Florida.

Seriously though, don't some states have a minimum height above the ground for license plates? (I believe it's for the red light camera's?)

[Iz]

NY also requires plates to be mounted in the front and rear. Option 2 looks better. Regardless of where the plate is placed, it will take some of the aesthetic beauty away from the front end. I have seen vehicles with the plate inside on the dashboard. Not sure if that is legal or for short term use.

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I have seen vehicles with the plate inside on the dashboard. Not sure if that is legal or for short term use.

Even if legal (and I have seen that being done by some drivers in California where the front plate is required), not a bright idea; imagine being impaled or beheaded by it in a crash situation!

[drees]

Edit: I wonder if this mounting bracket on a BMW might work...

That's a bracket made by Skene Design - I just bought one for my LEAF (I can only dream of buying a Tesla). Takes a bit of time to make sure it's lined up properly, but it's a very well made bracket and pretty adjustable. Wish it had some fore-aft adjustment (only angle and height are adjustable once the bracket is mounted) and the vertical supports were not quite so visible when looking down from the top. It's design should let you mount a plate on the front of nearly any car with minimal permanent penetrations.

[Todd Burch]

vfx: Thanks for the graphic design eye .

NigelM: I looked through the Virginia motor vehicle regulations. There's no requirement for minimum height that I saw

Here's the regulation:

"§ 46.2-715. Display of license plates.

License plates assigned to a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, tractor truck, trailer, or semitrailer, or to persons licensed as motor vehicle dealers or transporters of unladen vehicles, shall be attached to the front and the rear of the vehicle..."

So it needs to be mounted--can't just be sitting on the dash.

drees: Thanks for the info. Hopefully Tesla will have a recommended mounting option...Or perhaps I can fight to change the law...

[Cobos]

I was one of those posting in the design thread over on the Tesla forum for the mounting bracket. I believe most of Europe also require a front license plate. So I really hope Franz design that into the design. Yes I know that might brake up the flow of the design a bit, but if they don't the actual required license plate has to go somewhere and will probably look really really stupid with lots of different DIY mounting brackets

Cobos

[Zorba]

Front license plates are indeed required in Europe. I'm thinking of putting stickers instead of the actual plate (front plate can be duplicate in Belgium). I might get fined but prefer that over putting holes in my new car.