Carpool w/OUT Horrible HOV Stickers

[NoMoGas]

lord, the HOV stickers are just so HORRIBLE. They honestly ruin the S (IMO - maybe a tad dramatic, but they're seriously awful).

I have JUST the small one centered to the right of the license plate. Not pulled over once.

 

[msnow]

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.

So in addition to everything else you "speed all the time". :scared:

 

[ZBB]

I'm in Arizona -- where we have dedicated plates for Alternative Fuel and qualifying Hybrids to access the HOV lanes. They are blue plates with clouds on them. The Hybrid version has a sticker in the middle of the plate saying "hybrid", and have a cap -- only 10,000 can be in used (and the MVD actively closes the program when all plates are taken, then reopens it when plates are avail again (people moving or selling their hybrid). They also changed the requrements -- only plug-in hybrids now are eligible. Full EVs and other alt fuel cars have no cap.

AZ also has an optional sticker -- to use if you want a regular or other special plate... But I've only ever seen that sticker once. It's also designed to go on the rear window, is round and is about 4 inches in diameter -- so much less intrusive then the CA stickers.

Oh -- and AZ has long been a 1-plate state -- the front plate was dropped from being required in the early 80s...

 

[Caligula]

IMO, the only reason why we are required to have front plates is for revenue generation. Not only do we have to buy them when issued, but they are used to enforce things like tolls and red light cameras. I can't think of any safety reasons for this what so ever.

 

[bonnie]

IMO, the only reason why we are required to have front plates is for revenue generation. Not only do we have to buy them when issued, but they are used to enforce things like tolls and red light cameras. I can't think of any safety reasons for this what so ever.

How are rear plates any different?

 

[msnow]

IMO, the only reason why we are required to have front plates is for revenue generation. Not only do we have to buy them when issued, but they are used to enforce things like tolls and red light cameras. I can't think of any safety reasons for this what so ever.

How are rear plates any different?

I think those red light cameras are no longer legal or used.

I wouldn't call them safety reasons but there are many uses including law enforcement/parking violation ID, traffic accidents, etc. In my mind there is no difference between the uses of front and rear plates.

 

[fancycar]

I choose to view them as a badge that means I get to belong to a cool club. And, they don't look so bad against the pearl white. But, I do like the idea of a special plate.

 

[roblab]

How are rear plates any different?

You don't have to drive with a front plate in CA.

10% of CA drivers do not have a front plate "affixed", law or no law. Toll bridges take a picture of the rear plate as you go through the EZ pass lane. One ossifer told me front plates were kept so radar units could read speed more easily, but I think the new radars don't have trouble.

 

[msnow]

You don't have to drive with a front plate in CA.

10% of CA drivers do not have a front plate "affixed", law or no law. Toll bridges take a picture of the rear plate as you go through the EZ pass lane. One ossifer told me front plates were kept so radar units could read speed more easily, but I think the new radars don't have trouble.

You do risk a fix-It ticket which also has a small fee as I understand it.

 

[liuping]

Hah. Not mad at you. And lord knows I've broken a few speed limits here and there. Abiding by the HOV lane rules is kind of a no-brainer.

The point is that at least one sticker on your car lets other people know the car is legally in the HOV lane. Hopefully it sparks discussion about getting an EV so they can commute in that lane, also.

I use the one small sticker in back method, but technically, that is still breaking the rules.

So it mounting the side stickers low on a a Model S. The legal location is "Place on the rear quarter panels, one on each side of the vehicle, behind the wheel wells", but I've never see a single Model S with the stickers on the quarter panel. All that have them are on the side of the bumper. So we're all breaking the rules, just to varying degrees.

 

[Zybane]

I feel sorry for those in CA. Those stickers are disastrous. EV license plate is the only proper way to do it.

 

[Bet TSLA]

So in addition to everything else you "speed all the time". :scared:

Sure, as in "exceed the posted speed limit". Near as I can tell, so do most other drivers when not constrained by traffic. It's how people drive. Of course there are people who never speed, but it's difficult to do safely much of the time.

On the other hand, the front license plate and HOV stickers have nothing to do with safety. They are just about making it easier to enforce the (meaningful part of) the rules. So long as I'm following the meaningful part of the rules (e.g. the HOV lanes are only for certain vehicles), I don't feel guilty about not displaying stickers to prove I'm okay.

 

[jeffro01]

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 hate to be the first person in your life to break this to you but you are not special, you are not entitled, there are rules, you are required to follow them. So follow them.

I cringed reading your post, do you honestly think you are somehow exempt from the rules because your special (or at least you think you are)?

This behavior and attitude really has no place in civilized society and while I already know my post is going to go through one eye and out the other with you, I highly encourage you to check your entitled attitude and come join the rest of the grown ups in the real world.

Yikes...

Jeff

- - - Updated - - -

I feel sorry for those in CA. Those stickers are disastrous. EV license plate is the only proper way to do it.

I think we ended up with the stickers in CA because changing plates here isn't nearly as easy as "de-validating" the stickers as the current privileges end in 2019 IIRC. Assuming the legislature doesn't extend the deadline any further, Jan 1 2020, the carpool stickers will no longer be valid for single occupant HOV lane access. Much easier to remove a sticker than go through the process of changing license plates as in CA the plates stay with the car.

It's important to note in CA there are two tiers of HOV lane access, one for pure BEVs\Natural Gas (they are white) and one for plug-in BEVs like the Volt (they are green). I think dedicated plates would make that distinction harder but maybe I'm wrong on that one.

Jeff

 

[aesculus]

One item that those from Calif who post here are not acknowledging is that these programs don't run forever. At some point in time they expire. It is up to the CARB to decide to extend them or to change the rules. So why a Tesla automatically qualifies today, it may not in 2019. Note that the Yellow stickers are no longer valid. And the Greens reached a cap and are no longer distributed even though a car may qualify.

White Clean Air Vehicle decals are available to an unlimited number of qualifying Federal Inherently Low Emission Vehicles (ILEVs). Cars that meet these requirements are typically certified pure zero emission vehicles (100% battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell) and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. Per AB 266, the expiration date for the white stickers has been extended to January 1, 2019.

 

[Petra]

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.

Alternately, you could just not use the carpool lane in a single occupant situation and consider it a fair trade for not having to put those awful stickers on your car...

 

[liuping]

I hate to be the first person in your life to break this to you but you are not special, you are not entitled, there are rules, you are required to follow them. So follow them.

I cringed reading your post, do you honestly think you are somehow exempt from the rules because your special (or at least you think you are)?

The reason the state allows the use of EVs in HOV lanes is intended to encourage EV adoption and ultimately improve air quality.

The stickers are just a poor implementation of the intent of the law. Following the letter of the law, the stickers cannot even be placed properly on some cars (the Leaf for example has no part of it's "rear quarter panel" behind the wheel).

 

[jeffro01]

The reason the state allows the use of EVs in HOV lanes is intended to encourage EV adoption and ultimately improve air quality.

The stickers are just a poor implementation of the intent of the law. Following the letter of the law, the stickers cannot even be placed properly on some cars (the Leaf for example has no part of it's "rear quarter panel" behind the wheel).

I know what the intent of the law is...

Regardless, poor implementation of the law or not, put them on and move on...

Jeff

 

[ZBB]

I think we ended up with the stickers in CA because changing plates here isn't nearly as easy as "de-validating" the stickers as the current privileges end in 2019 IIRC. Assuming the legislature doesn't extend the deadline any further, Jan 1 2020, the carpool stickers will no longer be valid for single occupant HOV lane access. Much easier to remove a sticker than go through the process of changing license plates as in CA the plates stay with the car.

You still have to pay registration fees -- and receive stickers for the year of validity. It wouldn't be too hard to provide new standard plates for registrations expiring in 2019...

Prior to the Tesla, I started getting a different special plate every year or 2 (Arizona has a ton)… I'd receive the new plate in the mail with the registration sticker...

 

[jeffro01]

You still have to pay registration fees -- and receive stickers for the year of validity. It wouldn't be too hard to provide new standard plates for registrations expiring in 2019...

Prior to the Tesla, I started getting a different special plate every year or 2 (Arizona has a ton)… I'd receive the new plate in the mail with the registration sticker...

CA has enough budget problems with millions of people that stamping new plates all of the time doesn't seem like a worthy use of funds. I'm not a fan of the stickers but I also don't get what I see as a gross overreaction to their application.

Jeff

 

[tanner]

I feel sorry for those in CA. Those stickers are disastrous. EV license plate is the only proper way to do it.

I agree, is that what you guys have up there?