Are digital number plates the way of the future?

There is no doubt the auto industry is modernising, it started with electric cars and now we see the rise of electronic number plates. But do we really need them?

Several US states are now offering electronic number plates – like California – which is being led by start-up Reviver, which provides these plates in personal and commercial capacities. While the digital plates are currently available in California, Arizona, Michigan, and Texas, they are also legal to use in all 50 states of the USA.

These plates have been in development with Reviver since 2009, and the company has managed to produce number plates that are partly customisable, trackable, and are meant to make registration renewals an easier process.

They can also either be battery-powered – which lasts five years - or wired directly into the car's electrical system and has a monochromatic HD display. This allows it to display a customised number plate with information including whether the registration is up to date or will say "invalid" if it’s out of date.

There are several factors that will determine what the driver is going to end up paying for these types of futuristic plates. A battery-powered or hardwired version both start at US$19.95 per month for a 48-month subscription or US$215.40 for a four-year plan.

And then there's the installation fee. The battery-powered option doesn't cost extra since the driver can install it themselves, but having the plate integrated into the car's electrical system requires a professional installation, and that will set the driver back US$99.

Some of the US States where the electronic plates are available also have an added fee for a new plate. In Michigan and Arizona, drivers are charged US$5, while California charges US$23.

There’s also a multi-step process for activation before the plate can even be installed, and of course, it involves a Smart Phone App.

Reviver says that drivers keen to move into the motoring future with these digital plates should wait for their State’s DMV's approval to use the plate before installing it, and this can take up to 3 days.

Reviver says that assigning digital plates to a company's fleet vehicles can reduce time spent on compliance measures and improve their operations with added data points.

With the RFleet plates, businesses can streamline their plate renewal process so that none of their service vehicles go unregistered. It also adds telematic data like location monitoring in real-time, mileage tracking and geofencing.

So maybe, for commercial vehicles, there may be some benefits, and companies may be able to afford the upkeep, although companies are advised to get a quote from Reviver.

It’s likely these plates will expand into other areas of the US too, with Reviver saying they have plans to move into other States, including Georgia, and there are reports regulators are looking into approving digital license plates for other US States.

There’s no word if we will see these types of plates in Australia anytime soon, but it all feels very James Bond flipping number plate. What could possibly go wrong?

Related: Queensland drivers can now have an emoji number plate

Related: Driver allegedly caught with badly hand-painted number plates in Adelaide

Related: Four American car classics to celebrate the 4th of July