Clean Air Vehicle stickers

[pab5482]

Placing my california white stickers

I have my white stickers now, and I really don't want to slap them all over the car. One of the tesla guys i met recently at Super Sunday in LA said that there was some documentation or legislation that they carry with them in the car to demonstrate that all you need to do is display them "prominently", should you get pulled over by a cop looking to make a buck.

Indeed, I remember that most of the guys I met there had placed the smaller sticker in the rear window behind the driver's head ONLY - that's what I'd like to do too. But could really use your guys' advice.

Thanks!

 

[strider]

There are instructions that came w/ the stickers about where to place them. That is the only "correct" way to display them. Some folks have done different things w/ varying degrees of success but keep in mind if you opt for one of the alternative methods you could get a ticket. Personally I like the stickers as they are a conversation piece and badge of honor. I installed them on top of some paint protection film so they can be removed w/o damaging the paint.

 

[smorgasbord]

Strider, do you think that sticker on the rear diffuser actually gets seen by anyone except roadkill? We can barely see it in the photo, which is taken from a very low angle (can't see the top of the trunk in the shot). I'm guessing you think it meets the letter of the law....

 

[strider]

Strider, do you think that sticker on the rear diffuser actually gets seen by anyone except roadkill? We can barely see it in the photo, which is taken from a very low angle (can't see the top of the trunk in the shot). I'm guessing you think it meets the letter of the law....

Yes, I did take some liberty w/ placement and that's my interpretation on the instructions. Since you can see the large stickers from the rear I felt the small one was unnecessary but still wanted it installed on the car to meet the DMV requirements. I played around w/ it higher up (another benefit of the PPF is you can reposition the stickers a few times) but it just looked terrible. I realize this goes against what I said above but I also prefer symmetry and the small sticker just really threw off the balance.

 

[smorgasbord]

I challenge the assumption that HOV lanes were meant purely for congestion reasons - I doubt they ever would have passed if everybody would have agreed that that was the idea. There are a myriad of goals heaped on HOV lanes, none of them pure.

According to the LAO (Legislative Analyst's Office) 2000 Report:

According to state law, the goal of HOV lanes is twofold: reduce congestion and improve air quality. State law declares that HOV lanes are "to stimulate and encourage the development of ways and means of relieving traffic congestion on California highways and, at the same time, to encourage individual citizens to pool their vehicular resources and thereby conserve fuel and lessen emission of air pollutants." State and federal law also encourage the usage of buses on HOV lanes as a way to carry more people.

Caltrans has defined the goal of HOV lanes more specifically as follows:

* Increase the people-moving capacity of the freeway system.
* Reduce overall vehicular congestion and motorist delay by encouraging greater HOV use through carpooling.
* Provide time and commute cost savings to the users of HOV lanes.
* Increase overall efficiency of the system by allowing HOVs to bypass congestion on lanes designed for their use.
* Improve air quality by decreasing vehicular emissions.

With respect to the last goal, it is worth noting that strategies to reduce congestion are generally consistent with the goal of reducing vehicular emissions since vehicles emit less pollutants when traveling at faster speeds. However, air quality can also be addressed through technological advances, such as low- or zero-emission vehicles, which have the potential to significantly reduce the negative environmental impact of vehicular travel.

The conclusions of the report, which is now 10 years out of date, include:
* On Average, HOV Lanes Carry More People Than a Congested Mixed-Flow Lane.
* Statewide Impact of HOV Lanes on Ridesharing Is Difficult to Determine.
* Impact on Air Quality Unclear

 

[smorgasbord]

Yes, I did take some liberty w/ placement and that's my interpretation on the instructions.

I'm still waiting for my stickers to arrive. If you have a moment, would you post the exact wording of the instructions? Also, are the instructions given as quotes from a particular motor vehicle law or listed as guidelines, or just stated without an authority reference?

 

[strider]

I'm still waiting for my stickers to arrive. If you have a moment, would you post the exact wording of the instructions? Also, are the instructions given as quotes from a particular motor vehicle law or listed as guidelines, or just stated without an authority reference?

Instructions are here:
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=811&d=1279297496
Relevant law is CA Vehicle Code Section 5205.5 V C Section 5205.5 Low Emission Vehicle Identification for High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Use Tolls

(f) (1) For purposes of subdivision (a), the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the department, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall design and specify the placement of the decal, label, or other identifier on the vehicle. Each decal, label, or other identifier issued for a vehicle shall display a unique number, which number shall be printed on, or affixed to, the vehicle registration.

So the placement is not codified in the law but given to the bureaucrats to specify which I conclude are the instructions posted above. Of course, IANAL, YMMV, etc.

 

[vfx]

I carry a copy of the DMV page and another that it refers to. I also kept the envelope the stickers come in. It's really the only place where they are suggested to be placed. All are kept under the passenger seat with a clear card with one large sticker on it. Since I don't have a regualr HOV commute I just pull it out while driving and put it behind the passenger side. No tickets to date.

You will see many variations of small sticker behind driver's head as not to ruin the look of a beautiful Roadster to all three stickers mounted proudly as a statement of EV superiority.

There have been some who have gotten a ticket for window sticker (one on his first day!) and those that regularly drive HOV lanes with a only a window sticker. Safe to say the CHips know the car by now.

White stickers expire in 2015

 

[smorgasbord]

Yes, I did take some liberty w/ placement and that's my interpretation on the instructions.

Hmm. The instructions say to put the third sticker on the bumper. I don't think the diffuser qualifies.

Since CA law says it's up to CHP, I wonder what gets interpreted by the courts. Does the CHP have these things written down somewhere? I couldn't find it on the web.

I think I'm just going to do the two sticker thing and take my chances.

 

[vfx]

H
I think I'm just going to do the two sticker thing and take my chances.

Consider the clear starshield under them. the stickers expire in 2015 and you can get them off easier (theoretically)

 

[smorgasbord]

I was at Tesla in Menlo Park this morning mostly to have the starshield put on. The guy had pieces that were the same shape as the stickers, but I had him do the whole bottom panel (not much bigger) just because I thought it would be cleaner to have just the one line (and at a body panel line at that) rather than a sticker shaped line that would be a pain to keep clean.

So, now I got to steady myself and actually apply the stickers. I've read that I could use a liquid, like Windex, and spray both the stickers and the car and then position the sticker and then squeegee out liquid.

Anyone done that?

 

[strider]

o, now I got to steady myself and actually apply the stickers. I've read that I could use a liquid, like Windex, and spray both the stickers and the car and then position the sticker and then squeegee out liquid.

Anyone done that?

What I did was to attach the stickers to the film and then cut out the film to the same shape. Then, (I used Ventureshield which is a 3M product - not sure what you got from Tesla) was to get a spray bottle w/ a small amount of car wash soap (a cap full in a 16oz bottle). Hose down the area w/ the soap solution, peel off the backing from the film and place it on the car. Use a rubber squeegee to tack down a small portion so it won't slide and check the alignment. Once you're happy, squeegee all the water out and let it dry.

I don't know how you can get the stickers themselves to slide and then get them to stick. I'd take a couple pieces of scotch tape and tape the stickers (with the backing still on) to the car to get the placement right, and then mark the spot w/ like some masking tape and then apply it in the right place the first time.

 

[efxjim]

Soak the car and the sticker with windex or other glass cleaner and you can re-position the sticker. When in the correct position squeegee the sticker in place. Most vinyl signs are applied this way.

 

[smorgasbord]

Soak the car and the sticker with windex or other glass cleaner and you can re-position the sticker. When in the correct position squeegee the sticker in place. Most vinyl signs are applied this way.

I just did this with regular Windex, and it was great. Easy to reposition, but enough tack to stay in place, easy to squeegee out the fluid - at least on top of starshield.

 

[ChargeIt!]

Is there a particular reason to use Windex ? Are the chemicals in the Windex going to adversely impact the paint ? Could you just use plain tap water in a misting spray bottle ?

 

[bonnie]

I used plain water with a little bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid (per StarShield's recommendation). It was easy to position the stickers (attached to StarShield, on top of the car StarShield), step back, look at the position from a distance, and then adjust by sliding slightly until I was happy with the result.

 

[smorgasbord]

...attached to StarShield, on top of the car StarShield...

If I'm understanding you correctly, you have the general area of the stickers covered with StarShield. You then stuck the stickers to another piece of StarShield, cut roughly to the shape of the stickers. You then attached the StarShield with the stickers to the StarShield already on the car?

If so, that's a bit different than what we're talking about here, which is the Sticker to StarShield interface.

If not, sorry for my misunderstanding...

 

[bonnie]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you have the general area of the stickers covered with StarShield. You then stuck the stickers to another piece of StarShield, cut roughly to the shape of the stickers. You then attached the StarShield with the stickers to the StarShield already on the car?

If so, that's a bit different than what we're talking about here, which is the Sticker to StarShield interface.

If not, sorry for my misunderstanding...

I have StarShield already on the car. I picked up some scrap StarShield, stuck the stickers on that, then carefully cut them out so that none of the StarShield shows. Then I stuck that (sticker on StarShield) to my car with StarShield. So yes, two layers between the sticker and the car.

I could have stuck them directly on the installed StarShield. But I wanted the ability to reposition the stickers and I wouldn't have been able to do that if I hadn't stuck them to the StarShield scraps.

Make sense?

 

[smorgasbord]

I could have stuck them directly on the installed StarShield. But I wanted the ability to reposition the stickers and I wouldn't have been able to do that if I hadn't stuck them to the StarShield scraps.

Well, that's what I did, using Windex. Although I did have to have StarShield put on the car first, since those rear quarter panels are not included in the "Paint Armor" factory option.

 

[ChargeIt!]

... I wanted the ability to reposition the stickers and I wouldn't have been able to do that if I hadn't stuck them to the StarShield scraps.

Hope no third party "repositions" them for you !