Massachusetts EV license plate - why?
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They're optional in MA, just pay a $20 fee at the DMV and they get you one. There was some MA legislation drafted with provision at one point to, among other things, give electric/plug-in hybrids some perks like access to HOV lanes in and out of Boston and to Logan, stuff like that.
AFAIK those ideas were all stripped out of whatever "EV Promotion" legislation was passed recently, it wasn't much.
Maybe if anyone operating in an official or security capacity cared about what type of registered vehicle was parking in designated EV-charging spots; I've had a Volt for over three years now as far as I can tell nobody cares at all at any of the public/corporate charger locations I've been to so far, just park an F-150 all day at any of 'em nobody's gonna do anything
AFAIK those ideas were all stripped out of whatever "EV Promotion" legislation was passed recently, it wasn't much.
Maybe if anyone operating in an official or security capacity cared about what type of registered vehicle was parking in designated EV-charging spots; I've had a Volt for over three years now as far as I can tell nobody cares at all at any of the public/corporate charger locations I've been to so far, just park an F-150 all day at any of 'em nobody's gonna do anything
I think it is also to help first responders realize there are some special safety concerns if they come upon one of these in a major crash. Kind of surprising that they (MA) made it optional to get the EV plate. My dealer got my plate for me and they didn't bother with the specialty plate. I looked into it after seeing other Volts (and Teslas and Leaves) on the road with the EV plate but haven't bothered switching (RMV offices seem to only be open when I'm at work and it's not worth a vacation day just to get one of these IMO).
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They're cute, they have the little green car with a plug for a tail. Aside from advertising that you have an EV there is are no benefits and they are not required. I didn't know they existed when I bought the Volt, if I had I would have gotten a set instead of just transferring my old plates. The bad thing is that you can only get them by going to the Registry, you can't get them online as you can with the other special interest plates and you can't send AAA to get them either.
I find that when charging spots are located farther away from the building entrance, that they are NEVER occupied, even by an EV. There are a couple of lots near me where I know I can always plug-in. And I'm always happy to walk farther to get inside. It's good exercise, and it prevents door dings.
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From everything I've heard this is the real reason you want an EV specialty plate. First responders are trained to look for it so they are aware of the high voltage battery on board. Also, bragging rights are only for low number EV plates
Both the dealer and the RMV highly stressed the safety aspect (alerting first responders), and I'd also seen reports on the Tesla forums of cars without the EV plates getting tickets when parked in EV-only spots (they got the tickets overturned, but it was a hassle). There's more info at https://blog.mass.gov/transportation/rmv/rmv-electric-vehicle-plate/
I had a low-number reserve plate that I wanted to keep instead of using an EV plate, so I traced a vector version of the logo from the EV plate, and I had it cut as a decal in retroreflective green vinyl. The cheapest price I found was $3.75 from vinyldisorder.com with coupon code hld18 (I have no affiliation with them, just a satisfied customer). I then stuck the decal in the nice black area next to the plate.
I have attached the vector files if any else wants to go this route.
I had a low-number reserve plate that I wanted to keep instead of using an EV plate, so I traced a vector version of the logo from the EV plate, and I had it cut as a decal in retroreflective green vinyl. The cheapest price I found was $3.75 from vinyldisorder.com with coupon code hld18 (I have no affiliation with them, just a satisfied customer). I then stuck the decal in the nice black area next to the plate.
I have attached the vector files if any else wants to go this route.
Not in Supernatural British Columbia. Is MA one of the States that charges extra tax on EV to make up for gas road tax? When I bought my Volt from Honda dealer I had my choice of plate numbers from those she had on hand so I chose the one that was a combo of Star Trek Deep Space 9 and the science fiction series V (although as an after thought it could have stood for Volt)..
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No MA doesn't have an EV tax. It does have an EV rebate but that's just been reduced. I got a $2500 rebate when I bought my Volt in 2016 but as of this year it's been eliminated for plugins and BEVs costing more than $50,000, i.e. most Teslas, and reduced to $1500 for cheap BEVs like the Bolt. The reasoning for reducing and restricting the rebate was that it had become so popular that they couldn't afford to keep it at the old rate.
No extra EV tax, no extra fee for the EV plate, and, as mentioned before, there's even a state EV rebate (although not for Volts any more).
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Wow, that's too bad! In 2018 we got the full $2500 rebate on our Pacifica PHEV. I guess as they are gaining in popularity, the rebate is needed less and less, so it makes sense. I think that means it works as planned!
In Ontario you get a green coloured license plate that says “Green Vehicle” on the bottom. It’s gets the car free access to the HOV and HOT ( $ and lottery) lanes with a single driver. Worth its weight in gold during the 20 hours of “rush hour” in Toronto area.
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