New Car Shopping

I guess that’s on hold too now.

About four years ago, I purchased a Tesla Model S for way too much money. My justification was that I needed a car with a HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle = carpool) sticker. In California, if you drive a pure or hybrid electric car, you get a sticker that allows you to drive in the carpool lane. At the time, there was a wait list for stickers for hybrid electrics and since my commute was ~90 miles daily, I needed a car that can take me to work and back even if I can’t charge it during the day. There was not limit on stickers for pure electric cars. At the time, we didn’t have enough level 2 chargers at work so the only safe bet that I could get home after work was a Tesla. I bought the cheapest model available at the time: Model S with a software limited 60 kWh battery and no options other than white paint and Enhanced Autopilot. For that, it was ~$72k before tax and registration. Later on, I paid $2,000 to unlock the battery to ~72.5 kWh for a bit more range.

For the HOV lane sticker, California DMV only issues them for two years at at time. The original set I got were white colored and was good until December 2018. Luckily I didn’t get mine until January of 2017 so I was able to get the next set for two years. These are the red ones that expire at the end of this year. DMV also issued purple stickers for first time applicants that lasts until the end of 2021. I believe if I wanted to keep driving solo in the HOV lane, I would need to get another car by January 1, 2021.

I did receive a call from Tesla Sales a few months ago. They offered me an overnight test drive of any model. Tesla wanted me to get a new Model S but I wanted a SUV this time so I asked for a Model X, since the Model Y was not out yet. Anyway, due to my heart issues, I never went and got the car from Tesla. Since the Model Y is out now, I wanted to compare them side by side since the Model X is so expensive. I already overpaid for one Tesla!

Now with COVID-19, and me working from home all the time, there isn’t an urgent need for me to get a new HOV sticker if I’m not going to commute anytime soon. Even when things return to “normal” and I have to drive to work again, it feels like working from home may become a more accepted and permanent part of the work environment. Maybe COVID-19 changed the traffic norms in Los Angeles going forward. I was only saving about 10 minutes each way anyway; it was more psychological than physical. Maybe I won’t need the sticker anymore and can drive my current Tesla for another 10 years.