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~$17 a month for Digital Rplate
- Thread starter Mr X
- Start date
If I remember correctly digital and not. It’s eInk or epaper, like a Kindle. What makes the picture is tiny physically balls so not digital. But a small charge is used to move the balls towards or away from the “screen”.
Video doesn’t do it justice. You have to see it in person.
That said I got enough things people would consider a waste of money and that includes monthly subscriptions.
Like I love the concept. Even at current pricing still not worth it to me. Make is sexier, bring the price down even more, and maybe do a flexible rubberized version for the front as well.
Wrote the vendor with a question or two. They are only selling or leasing these for the rear. You still need a regular plate for the front. And the installer does have to route 12 volts to the rear plate and drill into the back of the car to route the wire...
But, this would mean that I can't mock people who put the year sticker on top of the month sticker. 
Here’s the thing you can only get them in AZ and CA. In CA you can get a vinyl sticker to put on the front as a metal plate replacement. Govt approved and legal. You can also get this epaper device for the rear.
In my case I just got the sticker for the front. $65. One time fee. Keeps the line of the car. No drilling or wiring. Keeping the metal plate in the back looks fine. I did opt extra for the CA black with gold letters though to blend in with the dark grey paint. Since I didn’t do custom plate I don’t have the larger fee of just getting the black legacy with the sequential numbering.
Everyone should get what makes them happy.
I do love this product but it needs to be $10 a month and for the full package. $17 a month is the basic package. Theres a higher one that offers extra advanced features. They also need a major redesign. Epaper is thin, why it’s called paper. It could be 20-30% with a proper circuit / chip design but they’re largely using the same overbuilt prototype design for years.
This will be my only "subscription". I don't have a netflix account or apple music or anything like that, which I consider a waste because all that stuff can be had for free if you know how
Bought this strictly for the looks and that's it. Barely anyone has it and it will look perfect on a high tech Tesla.
$17 a month for 3 years is nothing. Sounds good to me
No front plate life
And that's fine. It will be behind the frame so you'll never see it
lUtriaNt
Member
as mentioned people will post just to justify why its not worth it for them and thats how the internet is. these things are very nice, classy, and modern and fit the tesla well. they look great in person and makes your car that more unique.
ive got the pro version because when i got it on my last car, it didnt have the things the tesla does.
the plate is thicc because it has electronics, the e-ink screen , the 4g lte module, and the battery. its a two piece system. yes it needs its own 12V source and its a MUST that the installer wire the plate direct to the 12v and not some other system that will be disconnected when the car goes to sleep.
the app has gotten better over the year. i agree one needs to be able to put their own custom phrases on but i think this is a legal issue, because, what's to stop someone from putting some racial slur or some other nonsense on the plate, causing distress to someone who sees it and reporting the company. would not be the publicity this startup want.
COVID certainly may have affected it but not by much. this is a niche product and its not for the masses. it took the company several years to get this to work and its really a nice product to have if it fits ones budget.
ive got the pro version because when i got it on my last car, it didnt have the things the tesla does.
the plate is thicc because it has electronics, the e-ink screen , the 4g lte module, and the battery. its a two piece system. yes it needs its own 12V source and its a MUST that the installer wire the plate direct to the 12v and not some other system that will be disconnected when the car goes to sleep.
the app has gotten better over the year. i agree one needs to be able to put their own custom phrases on but i think this is a legal issue, because, what's to stop someone from putting some racial slur or some other nonsense on the plate, causing distress to someone who sees it and reporting the company. would not be the publicity this startup want.
COVID certainly may have affected it but not by much. this is a niche product and its not for the masses. it took the company several years to get this to work and its really a nice product to have if it fits ones budget.
Interesting idea. Large cost for the little benefit.
But I feel like everything in life in trying to pinch you for pennies and dimes now a days.
every product is now a monthly fee to it.
Thanks SF for starting this always connected to the cloud and subscription based business trend.
But I feel like everything in life in trying to pinch you for pennies and dimes now a days.
every product is now a monthly fee to it.
Thanks SF for starting this always connected to the cloud and subscription based business trend.
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SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
I like the idea, but to me the benefits seem minimal. I think probably the biggest one would be the "STOLEN" tag if the vehicle is reported stolen, but I would think any car thief would rip the plate off the car at the first opportunity, which will be well before you can report it.
If advertising is periodically shown while the vehicle is parked, the vehicle owner should be compensated for that. The plate should end up being free or should actually pay the owner back. Why should I pay a monthly subscription fee AND have someone else use my vehicle as an advertising display?
The ability to change the theme or message could be attractive, but the choices are very limited. With this plate you either get black-on-white or white-on-black, no colors. Messages are limited to a short pre-approved list.
The GPS and LTE are nice for tracking, but the Tesla already has that, so no add-on necessary. And if you really want that feature (for example, to track the car even when Tesla turns that off at the service center), then hide one of the tiny GPS transmitters you can buy on Amazon in the car.
Here in Texas, front plates are required, so you'd need two of these which increases the cost. (Assuming they would be approved at some point).
I love technology as much as the next guy but it has to make sense and be worthwhile, not just technology for technology's sake.
If advertising is periodically shown while the vehicle is parked, the vehicle owner should be compensated for that. The plate should end up being free or should actually pay the owner back. Why should I pay a monthly subscription fee AND have someone else use my vehicle as an advertising display?
The ability to change the theme or message could be attractive, but the choices are very limited. With this plate you either get black-on-white or white-on-black, no colors. Messages are limited to a short pre-approved list.
The GPS and LTE are nice for tracking, but the Tesla already has that, so no add-on necessary. And if you really want that feature (for example, to track the car even when Tesla turns that off at the service center), then hide one of the tiny GPS transmitters you can buy on Amazon in the car.
Here in Texas, front plates are required, so you'd need two of these which increases the cost. (Assuming they would be approved at some point).
I love technology as much as the next guy but it has to make sense and be worthwhile, not just technology for technology's sake.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
Vehicle registration in California is already criminally expensive so hey, why not make it even more so? Absolutely nuts. I don't get it. Why anyone wants a license plate through which the state can snoop on you, which theoretically can be hacked, etc., I will never understand.
I wasn't saying anything against it really, genuinely wondering what benefits it offers, thus "someone sell this to me" since their own website was doing a poor job doing so. Selling future possibilities, which the website also does, doesn't do anything for me if I have to pay now (I hold the same opinion for FSD FWIW).
After reading all the responses it seems like the answer is "because it's a screen". Which, okay, I do like e-ink displays, they're cool. But they're cool because they don't look like a screen and only need power when the screen changes. They're also a stupidly expensive technology still unfortunately, thus the price I guess? I'd rather have it for a computer screen, for programming and such (which does exist, but they're expensive and don't work well).
For anyone who wants it, you do you, my opinion has no impact on your life. I'm not saying anything against those who purchase it. I just really, really don't get it myself. To me, it has all the functionality of a standard plate and a tiny bumper sticker that fits on the plate, but apparently requires drilling holes and draining 12V power.
Now, if I was going to be critical... some Kindles also have an e-ink screen, light, LTE module, WiFi module, battery, processor, etc. but are much thinner - this is basically a $17/month thick Kindle that you can only strap to your car, and can't even read books with it! Imagine providing a Kindle for even $10/month. But that recurring revenue makes businesses very happy...
Everyone has made great points. Again, it's a useless Mod that some of us like to have, no different than covering up the wooden dash with fake carbon fiber. As far as the State snooping on me, we all drive Teslas with Cameras everywhere and who knows how much data going to the Mother ship on a daily basis.
I think the main gripe people have is the subscription model. Carbon fiber wraps, puddle lights, trunk lights, diffusers, spoilers, etc. are all one-time costs (and much lower costs too). Vanity for vanity's sake is common, but I'd think few of us have seen it in a subscription before.
But like I said, brilliant move for the business if people are willing to pay that amount. Execs love that recurring revenue.
I just realised it now, but it's a 3 year contract and the "buy it once" option still has a $3 monthly fee. For the "leasing" option you're paying an extra $13.96/month, but not paying up front. After 3 years,
- Total cost, lease: $610.20
- Total cost, purchase: $556.59 (includes install fee)
If you guys want to take about a waste of money then let's talk about FSD!
vs.
Getting it strictly for the looks and that's it. I don't even care about the other features. Like someone else said, it's just another mod for the car.
$17 bucks a month. 3 years. Free installation. Cancel anytime. Can't beat that.
vs.
Getting it strictly for the looks and that's it. I don't even care about the other features. Like someone else said, it's just another mod for the car.
$17 bucks a month. 3 years. Free installation. Cancel anytime. Can't beat that.
Eno Deb
Active Member
Make sure you understand their privacy policy. It sounds like the company will track your location and use it, among other things, for marketing purposes.
Anything can be had for free if you steal it...I don't have a netflix account or apple music or anything like that, which I consider a waste because all that stuff can be had for free if you know how
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