Five years after the governor of California Jerry Brown signed legislation authorizing the sale of digital license plates in the state, the devices are finally rolling out.
According to a report from the Sacramento Bee, the devices will feature “a digital display board that allows changeable messages controlled by the driver.” The new plates use the same tech found in Kindle eBook readers and come with their own computer chips and battery.
Drivers who buy the digital plates can register their vehicles electronically, eliminating the need to physically stick tags on their plates each year. The plates can also display personal messages if California’s DMV allows that in the future.
In addition, if the car is stolen, the digital plate will be able to transmit the car’s location to the owner and police.
The expected retail price for a digital license plate in California will be a monumental $699, which doesn’t include costs of installation. In addition, users must also pay a $7 monthly fee. Even more annoying is the fact that California will only permit users to install these digital plates on the back of the car, meaning that owners must mount standard plates on the front of their vehicle.
A spokesperson for the DMV stated that, as of now, there are only 116 vehicles with these plates currently on the roads. Under the device pilot, the department must report back to California’s legislature by July 2020 on how the plates are performing.
Bay Area company Reviver Auto is the sole contractor on the pilot. The firm manufacturers the plates, and is marketing it for sale at auto dealerships. The plates will roll out later this year in Florida, Arizona, and Texas.
According to the founder of Reviver Auto Neville Boston, initial interest will come from companies for their vehicle fleets:
Some businesses will use them as mini-billboards to advertise their products or services, he said, but will be able to do so only when the vehicle is stopped. The license plate number will still appear on the screen when messages pop up, but it will be smaller and tucked into the upper right corner of the screen.
The rollout of these location-tracking plates does raise concerns about privacy. Some drivers are questioning whether the plates will allow the state, the police, or private companies to track a driver’s location.
Featured Image via Max Pixel
