Car enthusiasts, collectors, and others attending car shows desire to display the sleek appearance and performance of their vehicles, but the license plates often interfere with the aesthetic or simply make privacy impossible. At any car show or event, you’ll see a range of makeshift solutions to this. Some car owners tape over their plates. Others use custom brackets to flip their plates up. Some just take the time and accept the inconvenience of removing the plates entirely for the duration of the show.
But these solutions are cumbersome, unreliable, or in some cases require modifications that don’t align with the sleek, high-end look you desire when displaying or photographing your vehicle. Could there be a better way, one more in keeping with the car show culture of finesse and performance?
Image sourced from Fantomtec
That’s what Fantomtec decided to find out. For car enthusiasts themselves, Fantomtec’s team wanted to create an automotive modification that would provide high-tech privacy covers for license plates that would be smoother and more attractive than tape or custom brackets and as convenient as the click of a button.
Introducing the Blackout License Plate
Fantomtec was born out of a passion for car shows and a shared frustration with the lack of a quick and easy way for car enthusiasts to control their privacy. The goal for their first product was to create an alternative that would be high tech, easy to use, and seamlessly integrated into a vehicle’s design.
That led to the blackout license plate, a remotely controlled license plate cover that allows you to switch your plates on or off with the press of a button. The cover uses extremely thin, weatherproof Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) smart glass, which switches from clear to opaque instantly. There is no heavy installation required, and the glass is powered through your vehicle’s 12V battery or cigarette lighter.
When Fantomtec tested its blackout privacy plate at a car show by presenting it to some of the car owners attending, their immediate reaction was excitement; they kept asking where they could order the plate. That was the moment when the Fantomtec team knew they had the right product; not only a “cool idea” but a real solution that people needed and wanted. It was an effortless and stylish enhancement that would help them display their cars, both beautifully and privately.
Image sourced from Fantomtec
Bumps in the Road for License Plate Tint Covers
Though that prototype license plate met with immediate interest, manufacturing it at scale didn’t prove easy. The global supply chain has faced frequent disruptions in the past few years, and key components for Fantomtec’s license plate tint covers had to be shipped in from overseas manufacturers.
The company dealt with these delays by providing regular updates to customers while building stronger relationships with suppliers, finding alternative manufacturers, and improving inventory forecasts to help establish a buffer in the event of future disruptions.
Today, Fantomtec’s proactive and customer-centered response to the problem has put them in a position where they hold an inventory of thousands of license plate covers and can offer one-day shipping. At the same time, they have built a loyal, engaged community of car enthusiasts, exotic car owners, and dedicated collectors through word of mouth and through direct interactions with their customers.
What’s Next for Fantomtec License Plate Covers
Fantomtec’s dream is to take the show on the road, so to speak, extending their reach globally and establishing the retail and dealership partnerships that will make their smart glass plate covers a standard modification that privacy-conscious car owners seek out. They also have plans to expand their product line with other remote-controlled accessories and high-tech vehicle security features. Fantomtec hopes to become a multi-million-dollar brand, believing that by continuing to find and solve practical problems for car owners, they can build a reputation for redefining automotive customization and privacy tech.
*Images sourced from Fantomtec
