CYBERJAYA: New electric cars will require a new mandatory standardised number plate in the Transport Ministry’s pilot project to standardise number plates across Malaysia.
The new number plates, launched jointly by the ministry and Road Transport Department (JPJ), will be available for order by car manufacturers and dealers at RM98 per set starting Monday (Sep 9).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke also assured that while the new plates would not be mandatory for existing electric car owners, they can choose to order the new JPJePlate starting in November this year to replace their current plates.
The set will include a front vehicle plate, a rear vehicle plate, a RFID windshield sticker and a set of anti-theft one-way screws.
The new plates, dubbed JPJePlate, come with a white background and a green colour code on the left side to indicate the vehicle’s electric fuel type and a Jalur Gemilang to identify it as a Malaysian vehicle.
The plates also come with a slew of unique features, including an embedded RFID chip designed to be an in-built replacement from existing RFID chips for toll and parking payments, according to Loke.
Other notable features of the JPJePlate include holographic stripes, anti-counterfeiting foil and a QR code that acts as a digital signature of the car.
“The white background and holographic stripes will make the car more visible at night, reducing the likelihood of accidents, while also making these cars easily identifiable so correct safety protocols can be taken during an emergency.
“The plate’s anti-counterfeiting (foil) will also minimise the risk of theft and fraud while the RFID will be integrated as part of our planned Intelligent Transport System (ITS),” he said in a speech at the JPJePlate launch here on Monday.
The new plates will also be launched with a new exclusive series of special registration numbers (NPI) that start with “EV” which electric vehicle owners can begin bidding for starting from Monday until this Friday (Sep 13) at 10pm.
“Earnings from these NPI will then be channelled to the people's initiatives such as the free helmet exchange program and B2 license training for the B40 group,” Loke said.
Loke added that plans to implement similar standardised number plates were also in the works with phase two of the project likely to be similar number plates for other electric vehicles like motorcycles, buses, lorries and others.
