> When the vehicle is parked, businesses can display advertisements on the plate, even targeting a vehicle’s particular location because the plate is connected to GPS.
From the article: And an included RFID tag, for the radio frequency identification used to pay automated tolls, means there’s no need for a separate E-ZPass transponder
You would have to figure out how to disable that first.
Also not all toll networks are compatible. Congress set a mandate for the states to work together on it but they missed the deadline. Another deadline was set but it’s almost past that too.
This sort of submarine article for Reviver Auto has come up often in the past couple of months, but does anyone see a market for a $700 license plate with a yearly subscription model, which also requires you to carry a backup non-digital license plate? What's the benefit to the driver?
Also the title, Ordinary License Plate's Days May be Numbered seems inconsistent with No more than half a percent of the registered vehicles in the state, about 170,000, will be allowed to use a digital rear plate ... and the driver must carry a regular rear plate in the vehicle in case the digital version malfunctions
> does anyone see a market for a $700 license plate with a yearly subscription model, which also requires you to carry a backup non-digital license plate?
No, but I could see one subsidized or mandated by governments (e.g. if it makes tracking vehicles much easier due to GPS / RFID / Cell Antenna)
Particularly when electric vehicles are more widely adopted, and gas tax revenue falls. Road use can be directly taxed, with time of day usage too, which should allow far more efficient road usage.
My sentiment exactly. I hope this does a fiery death.
I will do everything in my power to resist this “innovation.”
Who exactly in the state of California thinks this is worth trialing anyways? I would like to have our representatives pass along a few choice points of feedback...
Nobody needs this "innovation", which is very clearly a want of some sort for people I would like to believe know better and just lost perspective somehow.
There are much better things to be doing.
A majority of the US is in real economic trouble. Our national priorities are not well aligned with present and growing, real problems.
I fail to see how this "innovation" helps. Open though. Sell me:
I wonder about journalism like this. I mean I get the story the author is trying to sell, but where is the questions about who would buy this nonsense? Especially to the company which plans to only use part of the plate with e-ink, to “let states keep their colourful design”? Wasn’t the point of these things that it would be easier to re-register when you moved to a different state?
Anyway, I see a wide range of fraudulent usage for an e-ink plate that can be hacked to display whatever the hell you want.
Here's a better idea: no license plates. No DMV except for small boutiques to administer a driving test. Register car online using vin for parking enforcement.
The same argument could be made for tagging dozens of other physical property items, or if we are going down that slope, humans themselves. I'm willing to bet the number of hit-and-run incidents solved each year from bystanders catching a plate number is negligible (as compared to rage I experience whenever I need to visit the DMV - I live in socal). Also we can still ID the car to a reasonable level: white chevy bronco headed southbound on 405. If we absolutely need a number on the back of the car, we could (1) have manufacturers just print a shorter version of the vin back there, or (2) make it required that we put a number back there ourselves; my mailbox has a number I put there myself using reflective stickers bought on Amazon.
In California, at least, your license fees fund the highway patrol and their various enforcement activities. The cost is certainly not centered around the plate, which is made with prison labor anyways.
I'd be happy to pay extra income tax if the DMV was abolished (I'd even let highway patrol increase their budget by the amount saved from not needing to pay DMV wages, pensions, facilities operation and maintenance, anymore).
I've bought cars for less than $699. I don't see how it's going to help with stolen cars either. It would be trivial to make a fake plate, or just kill the power source so that the plate doesn't change.
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[ 0.28 ms ] story [ 71.0 ms ] threadYou would have to figure out how to disable that first.
https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Control-License-Shutter-Curtai...
https://www.amazon.com/License-plate-frame-Flipper-type/dp/B...
Oh hell no. We don't have enough auto taxes?
How long are these things going to last compared to the life of a car and traditional number plate?
> Once advertisers come on board, drivers could get a rebate
Could, but very probably won't. Excellent another way to erode privacy.
Also the title, Ordinary License Plate's Days May be Numbered seems inconsistent with No more than half a percent of the registered vehicles in the state, about 170,000, will be allowed to use a digital rear plate ... and the driver must carry a regular rear plate in the vehicle in case the digital version malfunctions
No, but I could see one subsidized or mandated by governments (e.g. if it makes tracking vehicles much easier due to GPS / RFID / Cell Antenna)
As for toll tracking, there are already RFID tags that do that, no need for a new digital license plate
Also OCR is getting better
I will do everything in my power to resist this “innovation.”
Who exactly in the state of California thinks this is worth trialing anyways? I would like to have our representatives pass along a few choice points of feedback...
Nobody needs this "innovation", which is very clearly a want of some sort for people I would like to believe know better and just lost perspective somehow.
There are much better things to be doing.
A majority of the US is in real economic trouble. Our national priorities are not well aligned with present and growing, real problems.
I fail to see how this "innovation" helps. Open though. Sell me:
Anyway, I see a wide range of fraudulent usage for an e-ink plate that can be hacked to display whatever the hell you want.
In California, at least, your license fees fund the highway patrol and their various enforcement activities. The cost is certainly not centered around the plate, which is made with prison labor anyways.
I've bought cars for less than $699. I don't see how it's going to help with stolen cars either. It would be trivial to make a fake plate, or just kill the power source so that the plate doesn't change.