Vanity Plates - Tool or not to Tool

[Lithium]

I ordered my Vanity plates today. NYS "LI-ION" with the dash being the NYS symbol. $31/yr for my car. Some say it's dorky, I like it and I hope promotes the concept.
Anyone else go Vanity on their Focus EV?

For it , against it? :roll: your thoughts?
H

 

[Entourage]

I am happy you started this thread because I have never had vanity plates on past cars but I am very tempted to get one for my EV. I think it would help promote the EV movement and also help to show why I get to drive in the HOV lane since the FFE is a very non-descript EV. Since EV's are relatively new, there are a lot of good plates still available. I found the way to verify plate availability with the Arizona DMV and has been fun brainstorming on http://servicearizona.com/personalizedPlates . I was thinking the line from Back to the Future would be cool - 1.21 GW. Friends have suggested stuff with No OPEC, 0 FUEL, NoGas, etc. in it but nothing perfect yet. Be fun to hear what others have picked and if it is Tool.

I vote Not Tool

 

[jmueller065]

There is an older, semi-long topic on this:
http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=944

My FFE is the first car I've ever owned with a vanity plate: ZZZT.

I get a 50/50 response with it: 50 percent immediately get it and laugh and the other 50 percent ask: "What does ZZZT mean?"

 

[Gigi]

We got an Alternative Fuel Vehicle plate for the FFE. I don't think that we had the option of going vanity with that, just had to accept the number the DMV gave us.

My wife has done something unusual, however. For the first time since she was in high school (a long time ago), she has named our cars. The Fusion Energi is "Gigi" and the FFE is "Effie." She really likes these cars!

 

[dmen]

In Illinois, I can pay $101 per year for a standard plate, $195 to register then $114 per year for a vanity plate, or $18 a year for an Electric Vehicle plate. Big surprise, I chose the latter. Not against vanity plates necessarily, but it's never been my thing.

Our EV plates are very plain (black letters on white plate, missing the Lincoln profile that graces standard plates here in the Land of Lincoln), but fairly identifiable with a consecutively issued number followed by "EL". Since we don't have CARB-type requirements for manufacturers here, there aren't too many EV models on sale. But we do have a pretty good state rebate of 10% vehicle purchase price up to $4000, so I think we're up to about 1700 EL plates by now. I'd be surprised if more than 15 belong to FFEs. Mostly LEAFs here, followed closely by Model S. Volts don't qualify for the plates though they qualify for the rebate. Funny.

The only problem I see with a very identifiable plate like a vanity or our EL plates is that they're probably easier for the speed cameras that have sprouted up in Chicago to catch accurately.

 

[Lithium]

NYS DMV has a website to check your plate options.
https://transact.dmv.ny.gov/platespersonalized/
They do not offer an EV dedicated plate. NYS park pass lifetime $750 donation gets you unique scenic picture plates that are customizable. Sports themes, county/ township specific and causes etc too.
There was no green movement plate other than the Park Pass plate series.

I wanted GIGAWATT but it was taken. You can find a plate you want and call to reserve it for 90 days as you wait for your registration on the new car to come through. Once you have it, they can issue the vanity plate.

RCHARGBL and RCHRGBLE were available. Those were my second choices that were available.

At $31 /yr I don't mind the cost. 8 Character spaces in Alphanumeric configurations makes for quiet some options.
H

 

[pjam3]

I try not to be a show off in a sense. We've already had some issues around people trashing Tesla's, so no need to put on vanity plates that make the FFE more than what it is. It's a $25K car, I don't need some idiot thinking differently and start keying it or trying to break it.

 

[zeplin]

I just setup my plates with some cool bling bling on them. I also had the custom letters that said 0 vey! Took me a few months to setup this up with the DMV. I have been messing around with the learn seo technique, but had much success. Time to get a new custom liscence plate i think

 

[EVA]

I'm in the same boat as Dmen (IL) - $35 for two years is so little money, I just can't see spending almost $300 for the same time frame just to have a vanity plate.

Funny you mention car naming Gigi - we've named our FFE's. The first was named EVA after Wall-e's girl friend in the movie (and therefore my name on this forum), after it was no longer with us, we bought Wall-e. So the white FFE we have is affectionately known as Wall-e.

In about a week we will have another full electric car, it will get EV plates, just like Wall-e. No names yet for the new car.

 

[georgek]

In '09 I had my Prius converted to a 25 mile phev. So I changed my plate to HI MPG 3.

Of course, when I traded in the Prius, I transferred that plat to the FFE. It's not really accurate, but gets the point across. I was thinking of updating it, but don't really want to pay another fee to the state.