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Understood. I'm a relatively new Tesla owner and have been a scofflaw <love that word> on the front license plate just because of the looks of it and at least in my part of CA not a lot of people get pulled over for that. HOV stickers, on the other hand, are a pretty costly ticket, not worth chancing that.
FWIW, I've not run a front plate for the better part of 2 decades in California and have yet to receive a ticket for it. I did have an officer verbally ask me to put it on the Infiniti once while I was stopped at a DUI checkpoint but that's the extent of it.
I also have front tint. Heh, I'm such a rebel.
I also have front tint. Heh, I'm such a rebel.
I'm guilty as charged. I'll use my removable stickers and removable front license plate (held on by powerful magnets), but I've never attached my front license plate (unless I'm using public parking where the Parking Police may be out and about).
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I'm guilty as charged here, too, but I use a somewhat light Photosync front tint so I can see better at night. Great heat rejection and great visibility for comfort and safety reasons.
thecloud
As rhythm raced inside, the ship came alive
Also FWIW, I have received a ticket in California for not having a front license plate. This was a couple of years ago when traffic light cameras were all the rage and local law enforcement wanted to make sure you'd actually be caught by the camera. I didn't want to mount a front license plate because it would require drilling holes into the pristine front of the car. There's a well-made bracket that solves this problem for the Model S and lets me easily take the plate off again without leaving any trace of its presence.
And I put on all 3 ugly HOV stickers. To be honest, after a few days I stopped even noticing they were there. They are a badge that clearly marks your car as a zero-emissions vehicle, giving you the right to drive in that lane. They won't come off as easily, but I did stick them on top of some clear PPF first, so that if/when I need to eventually remove them, it will be relatively easy to heat the film up with a hair dryer and peel the whole thing off in one piece.
Definitely with Bonnie on this one... no need to give them any excuses to pull me over.
And I put on all 3 ugly HOV stickers. To be honest, after a few days I stopped even noticing they were there. They are a badge that clearly marks your car as a zero-emissions vehicle, giving you the right to drive in that lane. They won't come off as easily, but I did stick them on top of some clear PPF first, so that if/when I need to eventually remove them, it will be relatively easy to heat the film up with a hair dryer and peel the whole thing off in one piece.
Definitely with Bonnie on this one... no need to give them any excuses to pull me over.
You're entitled to your opinion.
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You can get away with not display a front license plate, so long as when you park you place the license plate on your dash. In fact, NONE of the SC/showroom cars here in SoCal have front plates.
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Pass.
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They wouldn't anyway. I've seen a countless number of cops look the other way - was even pulled over for speeding once and he didn't care or mention it. As stated above, it's fine to not display the front plate in Cali, so long as you place it on the dash when you park.
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Nope, not in California:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=05001-06000&file=5200-5206
jeffro01
Active Member
I will never understand why some people have such an issue with the stickers. The law states you're required to put them on your car for single occupant HOV lane access. So, put them on and quit complaining. If you don't like the stickers then stay out of the HOV lane, problem solved. You are not special, you are not above the law, and all you're doing is contributing to this idea that those of us who purchase these cars are entitled and better than everyone else.
It's simple, you either put them on and get single occupant HOV access, or you choose not to and you don't get single occupant HOV access.
Jeff
It's simple, you either put them on and get single occupant HOV access, or you choose not to and you don't get single occupant HOV access.
Jeff
There is a very significant difference between exceeding the speed limit and using an HOV lane when only one occupant is in an EV.
The first is tacitly assuming either (1) that one has determined that Time Saved is greater than the weighted cost-probability of being pulled over for a speeding violation, OR (2) that going with the mean traffic speed is the most appropriate course of action (other possibilities also exist; those are the two main ones).
The second - as evidenced by many posts in TMC - is that the HOV lane is an entitlement. And that attitude is something that I and I know a number of other Tesla owners cringe at. In the short run, it provides tangible ammunition for those who equate Tesla with elitism; in the long run, it is axiomatically self-defeating, in that once some undetermined fraction of the vehicle fleet are EVs, then "everybody" will be hitting the left-hand lane.
Remember The Gondoliers: "When everyone is somebody......then no one's anybody." ¡Caveat auriga!
I will be delighted when the HOV privilege disappears. Until then - put on the stickers.
The first is tacitly assuming either (1) that one has determined that Time Saved is greater than the weighted cost-probability of being pulled over for a speeding violation, OR (2) that going with the mean traffic speed is the most appropriate course of action (other possibilities also exist; those are the two main ones).
The second - as evidenced by many posts in TMC - is that the HOV lane is an entitlement. And that attitude is something that I and I know a number of other Tesla owners cringe at. In the short run, it provides tangible ammunition for those who equate Tesla with elitism; in the long run, it is axiomatically self-defeating, in that once some undetermined fraction of the vehicle fleet are EVs, then "everybody" will be hitting the left-hand lane.
Remember The Gondoliers: "When everyone is somebody......then no one's anybody." ¡Caveat auriga!
I will be delighted when the HOV privilege disappears. Until then - put on the stickers.
Assuming you are talking about the CA HOV sticker then the "imbecile" you are talking about was/is a member the EV community (I don't recall who at the moment). The original design proposed by the DMV was apparently much worse so someone in the community actually did something about it.
arnold
CuriousG
Active Member
I don't know what DMV proposed but why wouldn't they have done with a special license plate? They have them for handicap people and dealers. I would gladly pay more than the $8 stickers and it would generate more revenue for the DMV. Really though 3 stickers?
Agree don't really care who invented them. A regular license plate for EV's is much smarter.
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
An EV license plate would look better, sure -- but considering the CA HOV access program is temporary only and for a limited number of vehicles, the stickers don't seem like a bad solution. I'm okay with it. I stuck my stickers to Xpel film, cut them out & then stuck that to my Xpel-wrapped car. And I'll peel them off when the program is no longer in effect.
To be fair, I believe the intent was to have qualified cars readily visible to a CHP officer pacibg along on the side or in the blindspot of the vehicle. Yes, it's asinine as they need to get behind you anyway to pull you over, but that was the answer I was given when I previously asked this question here.
Xminus6
Member
I find on my daily commute from the East Bay into the city that at least half the Teslas don't have the stickers on their car yet drive in the carpool lane. It doesn't really bother me honestly as I did it too while I was waiting for new stickers (had to have the rear bumper repainted and when I first go the car and was waiting for the stickers). The police know what a Tesla looks like and they know that they're allowed in the carpool lane. I haven't really seen or experienced any issues about it. I do have them on now on both the Tesla and Toyota RAV4 EV. I also had them on our previous Nissan Leaf.
It's my belief that the manufacturers make the front of EVs look different in part because it makes it easier to police to recognize them as different vehicles than their ICE counterparts where regulations give special accommodation to EVs. The police can just look up and see a Leaf, or the ugly grill-less front of the RAV4 EV or just recognize the general shape of a Tesla and mentally excuse that vehicle from a HOV lane violation. I don't think many cops actually look for the stickers unless they have free time or feel like being... vigilant.
It's my belief that the manufacturers make the front of EVs look different in part because it makes it easier to police to recognize them as different vehicles than their ICE counterparts where regulations give special accommodation to EVs. The police can just look up and see a Leaf, or the ugly grill-less front of the RAV4 EV or just recognize the general shape of a Tesla and mentally excuse that vehicle from a HOV lane violation. I don't think many cops actually look for the stickers unless they have free time or feel like being... vigilant.
eyespii
Member
This actually was exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago. I only have the one small sticker on the back of my car, and a cop pulled alongside me and flashed his lights signaling me to pull over. As soon as he got behind me though, he saw the small sticker, turned his lights off, and pulled next to me again, telling me through the his lowered window that I didn't have my stickers on correctly.
Bet TSLA
Active Member
As a driver of an EV I am entitled to use the HOV lanes even when alone. As I see it, the ugly stickers exist only to make enforcement less difficult. They are an implementation detail. Next decade they'll implement this another way. Meanwhile I'll leave the stickers in my glove compartment because they are very ugly when placed on the car as described, I'll use the HOV lane because I'm entitled to, and I'll negotiate with a law enforcement officer if I'm pulled over. And I'll pay the fine if it comes to that.
I also don't use a front license plate because it's ugly on the Model S. And I speed all the time. I've never much liked stupid rules and I try not to follow them unless necessary. I can't see much difference between not following the rules driving my Honda Accord and not doing so while driving my Tesla.
I also don't use a front license plate because it's ugly on the Model S. And I speed all the time. I've never much liked stupid rules and I try not to follow them unless necessary. I can't see much difference between not following the rules driving my Honda Accord and not doing so while driving my Tesla.
