A friend who had a Tesla got a parking ticket downtown for not having a front plate. He was really annoyed, and still hasn’t bothered to get a front plate holder.
I don’t feel that lucky, nor do I think it’s worth the risk. I saw this article about no license plates on Teslas, and to me, I need a plate. I don’t need a reason for someone to pull me over. I’m not white, I live in a very conservative area, and plenty of truck drivers around here hate Teslas and the idea. It’s a silly risk for me.
When we got the Tesla, the rep pointed out the plate holder and said it was up to us to attach it if we didn’t have them do it then. I skipped, knowing I’d want to do something else. Adhesive doesn’t sound great to me. There are screws, but that sounds less exciting.
Ordering
We registered the car online and plates actually came in the mail. I put the rear one on right away, and then decided to go order something. I looked at some reviews and a number of different products. Here’s one of the reviews: Best license plate mounts for Model Y. I also read a number of reviews on Amazon.
I decided to get the Slipstream Bracket for 2022-2020 Tesla Model Y by ThatGrin LLC. It’s metal, and I liked the idea of it being attached with clips and screws. That last thing I want to deal with is a lost license plate. That would remove any savings I might get.
I ordered it, but there was about a 3-4 week back order. I forgot about it until it showed up one day.
Installation
I’ve got an installation video, but this was really simple. They include the tool and the screws, and it took about 15 minutes. A good portion was trying to rip open the thick plastic bags.
Never a knife handy when you need it.
The process was to screw the license plate to the frame. I did this and then added the rear plastic covers to keep the screws from scratching the finish.
Next, I flipped out the two clips and placed the bottom pads below the grill on the front. I had to then close the clips and get them to grab behind the bracket, in the second from the top space.
It took some pressure to bend the metal and get it to fit the space. No permanent bends, but enough to get it below the horizontal part of the grill and then clip behind the vertical parts.
Once that was done, I screwed the last two screws that prevent the clips from opening back up.
Easy and quick, and now I’m legal in CO.