Just to follow up — the Tesla invoice does show the base price of the car as $35k. I’ve been waiting over a month for my Ohio title, so we’ll see how things go at the Secretary of State once it arrives. Good thing Ohio temporary tags are 45 days!
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Michigan Registration Fee
- Thread starter physicsfita
- Start date
Yes — I’ve had it for a bit over a month now! The invoice does show the base price as $35k and they only collected Michigan sales tax. I’m still waiting to get my title from the Ohio DMV (I’ve been told they’re notoriously slow), so we’ll see how smoothly things go at the Secretary of State when I transfer title and plates.
Assuming your current car is cheaper (or slightly more expensive and older), look into adding another year onto your existing plates and transfer them when you get the car — you won’t get hit for the Tesla’s price until the following year.
Although they will try to route your questions through the to call center in Nevada, I would recommend directly talking to the people in Cleveland. Nobody else at Tesla that I dealt with really seemd to know all the ins and outs of Michigan yet, although they were trying hard. Hopefully, they’ll get everybody up to speed at the call center soon.
Thanks for all of the info! I took delivery of my Model 3 yesterday! WOOOO!!!!
I went down to Cleveland and picked it up. I traded in my 2013 Cruze LT and they gave me my plate from it.
They said it could take up to 40 days to get the title paperwork from them/DMV so I have a temporary paper "OHIO" plate on my car good until middle of August (about 5 weeks).
I'm not too upset about the $135 added registration fee since that is where the money for the roads will be coming from (or at least SHOULD BE) since I/we won't be paying the taxes for gasoline that is the current money maker for the roads.
However, I don't think it should be a flat rate fee. I think the fee should be based on your annual mileage. I'd hate to be paying $135/yr if I only drove 5,000 miles/yr. On the other hand, there are folks that would probably feel the opposite if they're dropping 20k miles/yr.
All-in-all, I am STOKED to finally have my car!! It's WAY faster than I expected and SO much fun to drive.
I went down to Cleveland and picked it up. I traded in my 2013 Cruze LT and they gave me my plate from it.
They said it could take up to 40 days to get the title paperwork from them/DMV so I have a temporary paper "OHIO" plate on my car good until middle of August (about 5 weeks).
I'm not too upset about the $135 added registration fee since that is where the money for the roads will be coming from (or at least SHOULD BE) since I/we won't be paying the taxes for gasoline that is the current money maker for the roads.
However, I don't think it should be a flat rate fee. I think the fee should be based on your annual mileage. I'd hate to be paying $135/yr if I only drove 5,000 miles/yr. On the other hand, there are folks that would probably feel the opposite if they're dropping 20k miles/yr.
All-in-all, I am STOKED to finally have my car!! It's WAY faster than I expected and SO much fun to drive.
I made sure I renewed my plates on my old car first. You can renew up to 6 months prior to the expiration date. Then when I got my Tesla, I transferred the plates for $15.Thanks for all of the info! I took delivery of my Model 3 yesterday! WOOOO!!!!
I went down to Cleveland and picked it up. I traded in my 2013 Cruze LT and they gave me my plate from it.
They said it could take up to 40 days to get the title paperwork from them/DMV so I have a temporary paper "OHIO" plate on my car good until middle of August (about 5 weeks).
I'm not too upset about the $135 added registration fee since that is where the money for the roads will be coming from (or at least SHOULD BE) since I/we won't be paying the taxes for gasoline that is the current money maker for the roads.
However, I don't think it should be a flat rate fee. I think the fee should be based on your annual mileage. I'd hate to be paying $135/yr if I only drove 5,000 miles/yr. On the other hand, there are folks that would probably feel the opposite if they're dropping 20k miles/yr.
All-in-all, I am STOKED to finally have my car!! It's WAY faster than I expected and SO much fun to drive.
Thanks for all of the info! I took delivery of my Model 3 yesterday! WOOOO!!!!
I went down to Cleveland and picked it up. I traded in my 2013 Cruze LT and they gave me my plate from it.
They said it could take up to 40 days to get the title paperwork from them/DMV so I have a temporary paper "OHIO" plate on my car good until middle of August (about 5 weeks).
I'm not too upset about the $135 added registration fee since that is where the money for the roads will be coming from (or at least SHOULD BE) since I/we won't be paying the taxes for gasoline that is the current money maker for the roads.
However, I don't think it should be a flat rate fee. I think the fee should be based on your annual mileage. I'd hate to be paying $135/yr if I only drove 5,000 miles/yr. On the other hand, there are folks that would probably feel the opposite if they're dropping 20k miles/yr.
All-in-all, I am STOKED to finally have my car!! It's WAY faster than I expected and SO much fun to drive.
Congrats! Would Tesla have delivered the car to you in Michigan? How is the insurance compared to your old car?
I didn't ask about delivery. I'd say either probably not or at some substantial cost that I wouldn't have considered paying.
I actually put my Model 3 on my fiances insurance policy, with me as a driver on it. I had State Farm for my 2013 Cruze and was paying about $180/mo with broadform insurance, $500 deductible. With the same insurance on the Model 3 and with a $50 glass deductible added (better safe than sorry!), I am paying only $150/mo.
So I think State Farm was really hosing me, even though my house, engagement ring and life insurance is also through State Farm.
With Progressive, we only have two vehicles. I might eventually switch the house and ring to Progressive.
Tesla offered to deliver the car to my door — it didn’t seem like it would involve any additional cost. I picked it up in Cleveland because it seemed like the paperwork with the Secretary of State would be less problematic and I would be able to look the car over before taking delivery.
You do NOT want Tesla to deliver your M3. They consider the vehicle 'delivered' when it is loaded on the transport, you will have to take it to the service center and can not refuse delivery if there are any issues.
There’s an issue regarding delivering into Michigan: as I understand it, to sidestep the law, what you do is appoint the delivery person as your agent who accepts it on your behalf.
OK, here’s the promised update to my registration saga:
The paperwork I got in the self-registration packet that was FedExed from California along with the Ohio title wasn’t enough. The final bill of sale included in it only showed the total purchase price, and the people at the Secretary of State were going to use that as the base price of the car. Fortunately, I brought a copy of my vehicle configuration (1st page of the purchase agreement), which broke out the base price as $35k and the options itemized separately. After walking them through that, they agreed that the base price was $35k.
I would recommend that before you leave the desk, check the second box on the third line of the Application for Michigan Vehicle Title — it’s the fee category/weight box. It should read “000035E” — the numbers mean a base price of $35k, and the “E” is for “electric”. (I guess if they don’t put in the “E”, that could save you the EV fee...)
I had already done the thing where I put another year on my previous car’s plates before I sold it — when I transferred the plates, they didn’t hit me up for the EV fee, so that was a bonus. (Not to mention the previous car had a lot lower registration fee, anyway!)
The paperwork I got in the self-registration packet that was FedExed from California along with the Ohio title wasn’t enough. The final bill of sale included in it only showed the total purchase price, and the people at the Secretary of State were going to use that as the base price of the car. Fortunately, I brought a copy of my vehicle configuration (1st page of the purchase agreement), which broke out the base price as $35k and the options itemized separately. After walking them through that, they agreed that the base price was $35k.
I would recommend that before you leave the desk, check the second box on the third line of the Application for Michigan Vehicle Title — it’s the fee category/weight box. It should read “000035E” — the numbers mean a base price of $35k, and the “E” is for “electric”. (I guess if they don’t put in the “E”, that could save you the EV fee...)
I had already done the thing where I put another year on my previous car’s plates before I sold it — when I transferred the plates, they didn’t hit me up for the EV fee, so that was a bonus. (Not to mention the previous car had a lot lower registration fee, anyway!)
Has this invoice information from Tesla changed? Or are you referring to a different document. I just checked my purchase agreement on my tesla account first page and it only lists the car as 53, and then has paint as 1k, and premium interior and premium black listed as "included". The only option listed otherwise is the autopilot. I would love to have some way to document this is a 35K car with the others as options. Thanks
I used my Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement in the My Tesla area. The first page is labeled “Vehicle Configuration”, and the first line on mine said “Model 3 — $35,000”. If they’ve changed how they write that document since April, I would ask Tesla to write something that specifically states that the base price is $35k. It’s unfortunate that the documents Tesla sends in the self-registration packet lack adequate detail.
Thank you for that very quick reply. It does look like they have changed documentation since thats the place i see the 53K (mine is with AWD). I do however see under the payment method, there is a vehicle configuration which lists the car as 35K, long range Awd as 18, etc. However thats not really a very legal looking document. Il screen shot in case tesla changes that also. Yes, may be i will try reaching out to them though very skeptical they will be helpful. My past few attempts asking them at other things have been disappointing.
Curious if any one else in michigan has the same order agreement as mine. I originally reserved on 4/1/16.
Thanks again
dbemis
Member
Thanks. On the payment part, you will probably see that they still list 35K as model 3. They group all other costs except EAP/FSD as one lumpsum. As I recollect, there is no model 3 second trim. They are all model 3 with (now mandatory) add ons such as the premium package (5k), long range (9K) battery. So the base trim is still 35K. The hard part is going to be getting Tesla to appropriately document that. Their customer service has to me been very poor so not sure how likely it is going to be to get them to document it. I wonder if there is some official resource such as what dealers use for other manufacturers to get the base price.
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