I saw it!

[Kipernicus]

We were going north on El Camino from the Palo Alto shopping mall. It was red, and must have been the one from the Detroit show. It was on a flatbed truck. From that vantage I could see a flat bulge underneath the car, which I assume was the battery pack. I could also see through the windows and glass roof. It had a standard CA license plate, not a dealer one.

It looked great!

Not sure where it was going though - the truck was moving pretty slowly and I didn't have time to follow it.

 

[dpeilow]

Didn't have time to grab a cell phone pic?

 

[Iz]

Cool Would be nice to see more Model S sightings. A few years back some posters on this forum reported the early Roadster sightings!

 

[TEG]

...It had a standard CA license plate, not a dealer one...

Yes, I think the Model S concept has had a "standard" plate all along.
Probably it has a registered "donor chassis" at first, so it may not have had to have special registration like a new prototype would.

(I wonder if someone "ran the plate" if "manufacturer" would show up as a Tesla or a Mercedes?)

 

[OwlsCat]

It really does exist...

This reminds me of that M&Ms commercial, where the one M&M faints when he sees Santa Claus, exclaiming, "he really does exist!" Seriously, though, those of us who have production queue numbers are heartened by any news or sightings of our Model S!

 

[AnOutsider]

Seriously, though, those of us who have production queue numbers are heartened by any news or sightings of our Model S!

While I'd normally agree, I don't think this particular sighting is anything spectacular. It's just spotting a car that we already know exists in transit Heck, for all we know, it could have broken down horribly and needed a tow! :biggrin:

 

[Tommy]

Yes, I think the Model S concept has had a "standard" plate all along.
Probably it has a registered "donor chassis" at first, so it may not have had to have special registration like a new prototype would.

(I wonder if someone "ran the plate" if "manufacturer" would show up as a Tesla or a Mercedes?)

I did some sleuthing of my photo collection of the S model and the same California plate # is shown in photos of the red, gray and white painted S model. I don't know if it's the same car repainted a different color or 3 separate cars and the license plate is being moved from vehicle to vehicle.

 

[dpeilow]

Given that the white and grey ones have been seen in the same room at the same time, I'd say it's the latter.

 

[TEG]

I suppose someone could have borrowed the front plate from the gray->red one and stuck it on the back of the white one...

By the way, the white one doesn't run... It doesn't even have a complete interior. It is a "pusher/roller" body model.

 

[ChargeIt!]

I suppose someone could have borrowed the front plate from the gray->red one and stuck it on the back of the white one...

A front plate should not have stickers on it ...
Both vehicles in the same room does not mean both had license plates ...

Don't have time to search the "S" pictures ... but ... hint ... look for same plate/month/year-stickers in the same photo ... :smile:

 

[TEG]

No plate, dummy plate, dealer plate, manufacturer plate, take your pick...





At the LA intro when gray and white were together they both had dealer plates...

 

[NEWDL]

the gray car is now the red car...

 

[johnr]

The same plate was on the silver car at the Menlo Park unveiling April 8, 2009:

 

[TEG]

Notice anything different about these two?



Plate du jour...

By the way, it doesn't look like screws are through the holes. Perhaps suction cups or magnets?

 

[Tdave]

At the LA intro when gray and white were together they both had dealer plates...

This last shot was at the DC event. I took an almost identical shot to this one. The others I think are from the LA event. Reviewing my shots from the DC event shows that no plate was on the white car.

 

[Iz]

Notice anything different about these two?

6A - 1A?

Seen some of these photos before but the vehicle always looks quite stunning. Not too crazy about the charging port location.

 

[TEG]

6A - 1A?

Yeah - I think that is a plate #.
So, for instance a dealer and/or manufacturer (and in some cases both) gets a set of plates each with the same vendor #, but each with a unique sequence plate #.

I gather the Model S concept cars are a bit of a gray area so they just sometimes decide to grab an available plate from somewhere and just put it on there temporarily.

I think many of those dealer/manufacturer plates are fairly interchangeable. I think it is OK to move them from vehicle to vehicle. The 5NPH921 plate, on the other hand, probably is supposed to stay on a specific vehicle with a particular VIN #. (But if the vehicle is only ever in a shipping truck, private parking lot, or exhibit hall then it probably doesn't matter.)

 

[Kevin Harney]

Yeah - I think that is a plate #.
So, for instance a dealer and/or manufacturer (and in some cases both) gets a set of plates each with the same vendor #, but each with a unique sequence plate #.

I gather the Model S concept cars are a bit of a gray area so they just sometimes decide to grab an available plate from somewhere and just put it on there temporarily.

I think many of those dealer/manufacturer plates are fairly interchangeable. I think it is OK to move them from vehicle to vehicle. The 5NPH921 plate, on the other hand, probably is supposed to stay on a specific vehicle with a particular VIN #. (But if the vehicle is only ever in a shipping truck, private parking lot, or exhibit hall then it probably doesn't matter.)

As I recall vaguely that plate was also seen on a Roadster was it not? No proof and no desire to search but it sticks in my mind that we had this discussion before and it was between a Roadster and Model S or perhaps two Roadsters .....

 

[Kipernicus]

Didn't have time to grab a cell phone pic?

Yeah I was so floored by the sighting that I didn't come to my senses and grab a pic. Sorry everyone!

I do remember enough of the plate enough to confirm it was the 5NPH921

 

[vfx]

The white one barely rolls. Not even sure if the steering works. It would not need a plate except for show.