Futuristic Digital License Plate on my Tesla - Rplate

[Axtrader]

I have been following the digital license plate pilot program since the beginning of the year and decided to take the plunge last week for a number of reasons. The old metal license plates have been around for over a hundred years and the evolution to a digital plate is an absolute certainty in the years ahead. If you drive a futuristic electric Telsa automobile, you are an early adopter and the digital license plate is probably right up your alley. Here are a few of the reasons I decided to install the Rplate in my Tesla:
1) Im not a fan of applying the HOV sticker on such a beautiful car. The Digital Plate will have the ability make those stickers obsolete. Implementation of this HOV access feature will be enabled soon.
2) Custom Taglines and Graphics/Pictures
3) Realtime kinematics and tracking
4) No more registration stickers All electronic registration.
5) Adjustable background - black background/white lettering or white background / black lettering
6) Tolls / Parking fees - nice to eventually get rid of the EZ Pass box
7) Handicap Placard - we often forget swapping the placard in our cars for our handicapped son.

Al & Eds in Marina Del Rey is running an installation special now, waiving the $380 installation fee if you mention this TMC thread. See these youtube videos:

 

[maletor]

Hard pass. Some things just don't need to be digital. This is a total non-starter given the price.

 

[DOCAL]

I look forward to the day that someone hacks the server side of this and all the cars with them just end up with a giant penis on the back

 

[Powered By Jay]

How much is the monthly or annual fee?

 

[DOCAL]

$7 a month if this is accurate...
Would you pay $700, plus a monthly fee, for a digital license plate?

 

[sperkin]

Don’t want DMV to track my mileage and speedo but looks like in the future we’ll all need it in CA. This may be the only way we could pay taxes per miles driven on a EV since we don’t pay as much of a tax over gasoline buyers.

 

[silentcorp]

That thing looks too bulky for my tastes, also it doesn't seem to serve much of a purpose for that price.

 

[T34ME]

How much is the monthly or annual fee?

• $699 one time cost
• ~$400 installation, if done 3rd party
• $7 monthly fee, or until increased which seems likely

 

[thewishmaster]

Take out the GPS tracking and make it cheaper and I'd consider it

 

[smatthew]

I can't see going to a third party for this. My Tesla already has a cellular connection and computing power to handle another screen. If Tesla offered their own version of this for $500 or less I'd jump on it.

 

[Adam3]

• $699 one time cost
• ~$400 installation, if done 3rd party
• $7 monthly fee, or until increased which seems likely

That is nutty. And now the state can monitor your speed, location, etc.

If it was free, maybe....

 

[Axtrader]

It is on the pricey side for immediate adoption.... but then again, those were the same arguments people had when the Model S came out in 2012... you have to be a diehard early adopter. I believe if there was a published specification for the Digital Plate, Tesla could implement it quickly and inexpensively into the vehicle design since the car is already connected over 4G.

it is probably the only way the state can equitably establish highway usage fees/taxes by tracking miles.

 

[Ejl80]

That is nutty. And now the state can monitor your speed, location, etc.

If you have a toll tag they can already do this anyway.

 

[Eno Deb]

That seems like a case of extreme over-engineering. Is it really a problem to put on a registration sticker once a year? And I really don't want to replace a $700 license plate in case it gets damaged ...

 

[DrDabbles]

I love this. We had stamped metal plates which could be recycled, and lasted basically forever. Now someone wants to replace them with e-ink screens that have varying performance in a range of weather and temperature. Of course, it also has mobile connectivity which limits its life as wireless technologies are phased out and disabled (no more 2G access in the US).

And best of all, one of the top points the manufacturer made was that they can customize plates so they could serve advertisements on these devices. So your car becomes a rolling billboard, you have no control over what message they put on there, and you pay them for that privilege. Amazing!

This is a truly stupid idea.

 

[T34ME]

That is nutty. And now the state can monitor your speed, location, etc.

How is this nuttier than Tesla's vehicle identification through the U.I. for speed, location, etc.?

In my opinion, this type of digital identification embedded ( with no plate required) will be implemented in the next few years. California will be an early adopter with the other States to follow. It will save cost and apportion fees based on use. I favor this type of technology, nutty or not, to determine road use and payment for maintenance based on use. And besides, I don't care if California State or any State knows my speed, location, etc. because I am not doing anything to break the law. Once the Tesla U.I. can reliably read speed limit, just set the U.I. to adjust to the local speed limit, set it, and relax.

 

[brkaus]

If you have a toll tag they can already do this anyway.

Not exactly the same. Toll tag they can tell if you passed a spot and when. From that they could calculate speed, etc.

This knows where you are all the time and reports back to someone. Much like the Tesla reports it’s location info to Tesla.

 

[DrDabbles]

In my opinion, this type of digital identification embedded ( with no plate required) will be implemented in the next few years.

It won't be. There are several problems with this that aren't addressed yet (no reflectivity for instance), and the device will need to be replaced as it wears, fails, or requires upgrades to continue working properly. This is something that a cheap piece of stamped metal doesn't require. It's just producing more e-waste and subscription fees for a company that sold a state on a stupid idea.

 

[NathanielHrnblwr]

The device also contains an RFID and GPS chip that allow me to see where my car is at any given moment

That's a hard "No" on this for me. Some random 3rd party has access to this data with unknown privacy safeguards and likely an agreement with the state to provide location data and history upon request.

Dumb idea for citizens but a great idea for the state.

 

[DrDabbles]

Some random 3rd party has access to this data with unknown privacy safeguards and likely an agreement with the state to provide location data and history upon request.

Like Tesla does?