Ontario Buyers: Green Plates vs Normal Plates

[mrElbe]

My personalized plate started peeling despite being protected under a plastic cover.
Mike, your 20 year old plate is still steel while the more recent ones are aluminum. It's the aluminum oxidation that causes the peeling.

 

[03DSG]

My personalized plate started peeling despite being protected under a plastic cover.
Mike, your 20 year old plate is still steel while the more recent ones are aluminum. It's the aluminum oxidation that causes the peeling.

I find that my smoked CTC plate covers trap moisture underneath. 4 year old front is starting to peel around the bolt holes.

 

[mknox]

Mike, your 20 year old plate is still steel while the more recent ones are aluminum. It's the aluminum oxidation that causes the peeling.

Yeah, but they seemed to have fixed later aluminum plates. For example, I had blue aluminum plates on my 2009 Cadillac and on my Tesla 'til I swapped for Green and had no peeling/oxidation at all. I had a cover on the front plate and just a frame on the back. Maybe it was certain batches or plates from different manufacturers???

 

[Doug_G]

My N TESLA plates peeled but I got free replacements.

I originally bought them for the Roadster, but it came with GVAA 001 so I wasn’t taking those off!

Had them on my Infiniti for a while, and everyone asked if that stood for “Not Tesla”. D’oh. Later on my first Model S.

Now they’re in retirement and I’m running GVAA 001 on the 100D.

 

[Nomad2006]

I'm looking to buy a Model 3 and would get a green plate - is it straightforward to get a refund on the existing sticker for my blue plate? I have about 18 months left so don't want to lose it! I assume I should say no to transferring existing licence plates on the order page? Thanks

 

[Techniques]

I'm looking to buy a Model 3 and would get a green plate - is it straightforward to get a refund on the existing sticker for my blue plate? I have about 18 months left so don't want to lose it! I assume I should say no to transferring existing licence plates on the order page? Thanks

Keep your old plates, and get a Green one. After you get the car, you need to take your old blue plates with the stickers attached to a Service Ontario and surrender the plates to them.

They will issue you a refund of the difference in months left on your stickers. The refund comes in like 8 - 10 weeks...but it will come.

 

[Birdman325]

GVAA 001! Wow - that would definitely be a keeper.

I read somewhere that if you are in the HOV lane with an EV (and you are not carpooling), you will still get a ticket without a green plate.

In other words, according to the article I recall reading, it is the Green plate that allows you to use the HOV lane, NOT the fact that your car is eligible for a Green plate.

 

[Nomad2006]

Keep your old plates, and get a Green one. After you get the car, you need to take your old blue plates with the stickers attached to a Service Ontario and surrender the plates to them.

They will issue you a refund of the difference in months left on your stickers. The refund comes in like 8 - 10 weeks...but it will come.

Thanks!

 

[Doctor X]

There are also VE (?vehicle electrique?) in Ontario, which seem to be the French version of the GV plate. Same plate, different prefix.

VE stands for véhicule écologique

 

[patrickcee]

HOV lane access was the #3 reason I decided to buy a Tesla, #2 being crash safety and #1 being the planet is on ****ing fire!!! If you're ever anywhere near the GTA or Ottawa, it can be a godsend during rush hour.

I think another big plus would be parking in "Green Vehicle Only" spaces and not worrying about getting ticketed or towed by someone unfamiliar with Teslas.

 

[RSR.M3]

I bought "Model III" before the car came out, and finally now pulled the trigger on a model 3 after waiting for the dual motor and losing the tax credit. Anyways, I now need the HOV lane as I've moved to the GTA....so if anyone wants personalized plates "MODEL III" please send me a message.

 

[mrElbe]

Not having a green plate is no problem for me. I do not commute and I like the choice of several lanes vs. stuck behind some slow poke in the HOV lane.

 

[wayner]

In other words, according to the article I recall reading, it is the Green plate that allows you to use the HOV lane, NOT the fact that your car is eligible for a Green plate.

Yes, that is correct. Otherwise it would be too tricky for the police to figure out which cars are eligible. It isn't too tricky with Teslas, but what about cars where some models are eligible, but others are not - like a BMW X5, Porsche Panamera or Cayenne, etc.

 

[rapoport3a]

" I do not commute and I like the choice of several lanes vs. stuck behind some slow poke in the HOV lane."

It's uncommon that the HOV lane is slower. With GV/VÉ you always have the choice of getting out of it…on average on the QEW eastbound during rush hour, the HOV lane has saved me 20 minutes. I don't commute much but like the choice of saving that time when I do.

 

[jc22zhao]

I got a personalized plate (blue) because green plates do not have the option to be personalized. I drive about 3-5 times a week on the 404 HOV lanes. So far I have not gotten stopped by a cop, though I have not seen many cops monitoring the HOV lane during the times I was using it.

I find it unfair for there not to be a personalize option for green plates and if I ever get stopped I'll bring that up with the officer.

 

[bijan]

I got a personalized plate (blue) because green plates do not have the option to be personalized. I drive about 3-5 times a week on the 404 HOV lanes. So far I have not gotten stopped by a cop, though I have not seen many cops monitoring the HOV lane during the times I was using it.

I find it unfair for there not to be a personalize option for green plates and if I ever get stopped I'll bring that up with the officer.

It varies by highway. On the 403 I see people get pulled over for being in the HOV lane with a single occupant all the time. Can't say anyone ever got pulled over in an EV with personalized plates though. But on the 410 people get pulled over even with green plates by cops that don't know better according to the facebook groups, seems to have happened 2-3 times that I have seen.

 

[Tony_YYZ]

Not having a green plate is no problem for me. I do not commute and I like the choice of several lanes vs. stuck behind some slow poke in the HOV lane.

But the Green Plate gives you all the choices you have now and more.....

I find it unfair for there not to be a personalize option for green plates and if I ever get stopped I'll bring that up with the officer.

lol good luck with that one

 

[Vawlkus]

I find it unfair for there not to be a personalize option for green plates and if I ever get stopped I'll bring that up with the officer.

Better idea: DON’T bring it up with the cop. He’s enforcement only, and could book you for being resistant.
Bring it up with your MLA or MP. They’re the ones that can change it.

 

[techMology]

Yeah, but they seemed to have fixed later aluminum plates. For example, I had blue aluminum plates on my 2009 Cadillac and on my Tesla 'til I swapped for Green and had no peeling/oxidation at all. I had a cover on the front plate and just a frame on the back. Maybe it was certain batches or plates from different manufacturers???

Different prisoners? Maybe the Friday shift? ;-)

Both my green plates are peeling badly. Of course, I finally looked into a "warranty" replacement 5 years an 1 month after I got them. Now I'm torn. Do I get new green plates and lose my (relatively) early GVAC, wait for whatever the new green plates are (if there are any planned - if they're anything like the new blue plates, I'm not a big fan), or just live with the peeling.

 

[pcons]

Different prisoners? Maybe the Friday shift? ;-)

Both my green plates are peeling badly. Of course, I finally looked into a "warranty" replacement 5 years an 1 month after I got them. Now I'm torn. Do I get new green plates and lose my (relatively) early GVAC, wait for whatever the new green plates are (if there are any planned - if they're anything like the new blue plates, I'm not a big fan), or just live with the peeling.

Roll GVAC as long as you can I say....my wife thinks I'm crazy when I see someone rocking GVAA or something like that. In my books it is a mark of being an early adopter and I'm proud to have an early green plate. I'm in a similar situation, I have GVAD and they are looking pretty bad, especially on a white model 3. My solution for now has been to put one of those smoked bubble plate protectors over it. At least it doesn't look too terrible that way.

I wish I could just put in an order to replace the plates with the exact same number. I assume if you could get personalized green plates that would be an option. Was thinking of even asking the ministry if there was any way to get replacements with the exact same number, but I assume the answer to that would be 'No'.