This week, the federal government launched particular plates for electrical autos – distinctive white background plates with Euro-style fonts and an identifier strip on the left aspect. Color and font apart, one other huge departure from the common white-on-black plates is that JPJePlate is manufactured from aluminium, and the numbers are embossed on the plate. It’s tamper-proof and RFID-equipped, too.
At the moment, JPJePlate is a pilot venture to make it simple to distinguish EVs from ICE-powered automobiles. It will likely be the first identification for enforcement motion (EV-only parking, for instance) as nicely in accidents, making certain an acceptable response throughout emergencies – EVs fires must be countered in a different way, as an illustration.
JPJePlate is for now necessary just for new EVs, and the remainder of us (together with EVs which can be already on the highway) can proceed to make use of our plastic black plates. However be in little doubt that this is step one in the direction of standardised plates for all new autos excluding bikes sooner or later.
Malaysia is outdated, an outlier
Travellers, have you ever ever questioned why Malaysia is seemingly ‘lawless’ and free-for-all in terms of quantity plates, when all of our neighbours – by no means thoughts the remainder of the world – use standardised quantity plates? By all accounts, we’re fairly superior – do you know that Malaysia ranks fourth within the checklist of nations with probably the most skyscrapers behind China, USA and the UAE? We even have a excessive inhabitants of good automobiles right here.
It’s a uncommon state of affairs that’s greater than a bit unusual. At a pre-launch briefing, the transport ministry stated that Malaysia is amongst 5% of the nations nonetheless utilizing conventional acrylic plates globally, and it’s trying to steadily transfer away from that.
The initiative to introduce JPJePlate is geared toward exploring the eventual standardisation of the licence plate for all new autos registered in Malaysia, successfully eliminating fancy fonts/non-regulation plates and decreasing the chance of automobile cloning, amongst different issues associated to falsification of quantity plates, MoT added.
On the JPJePlate launch occasion, transport minister Anthony Loke stated that the plate’s reflective white background and excessive legibility can even enhance visibility points of a automobile in the course of the evening, making certain higher highway security. This jogs my memory of the numerous instances the place autos (often bikes) ram right into a stationary automobile at the hours of darkness, including to our grim highway accident fatality fee.
The long run, certainly
The FAQ web page of JPJePlate additionally factors to the ‘white Euro plates’ being the longer term for all autos in Malaysia, excluding bikes. The official description of JPJePlate is “an initiative.. to revolutionise the transport business. Its main aim is to extend highway security and standardise all quantity plate design on the highway.” That’s very clear from the authorities, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
“The primary part of implementing the JPJePlate quantity plates will start with Zero Emission Autos (ZEVs), which embrace electrical motor autos (EVs) apart from bikes which can be totally powered by electrical batteries (Plug-in EV/Battery Cell) or by hydrogen gas cells (Hydrogen Gas-Cell EV), via a Nationwide Roll Out (NRO). Additional expansions to incorporate different forms of autos will probably be introduced sooner or later,” JPJ provides.
SOPs to get used to
There’s much more to the JPJePlate than its white background and Euro-look. Sourced from Tonnjes, a German specialist firm, the plate options holographic stripes, an anti-counterfeiting foil, a digital signature within the type of a QR code, laser-engraved serial quantity, embedded RFID and safety screws for set up.
Talking of set up, it’s an enormous departure from the present free-for-all type, the place anybody can stick white letters on a gloss black plate. The job of affixing the JPJePlate, together with the windshield sticker, is carried out by the automobile retailer or authorised centres – accent retailers can now apply to be an authorised installer, however should first undergo registration and coaching earlier than they’re allowed to entry the system.
The JPJePlate is affixed to the automobile with supplied safety screws, that are one-way screws that require a particular screwdriver. JPJ says that these screws can’t be eliminated simply with out breaking each the screws and their covers, and forcibly eradicating the screws would possibly harm the plate. That is an anti-theft function, however JPJ can also be permitting the 52 x 11 cm metallic plates to be held by a standard plastic body, as some automobile house owners worry harm from the screws.
At the moment, Handal Ceria is the only real firm appointed via an open tender course of to deal with the provision and ordering of JPJePlate. It’s a low quantity pilot venture for now, and there’s a must streamline and examine for points, therefore the lone participant.
“The number of a single firm for this part is meant to make sure a extra organised and managed implementation. This strategy is a sensible step by the transport ministry and JPJ to collaborate, streamline the method, and handle any points that will come up. The implementation will probably be expanded to incorporate all forms of autos within the subsequent phases, and the addition of extra suppliers will probably be thought of,” JPJ stated.
Word the ‘expanded to incorporate all forms of autos’ line as one more specific point out of the NRO.
RFID and ANPR for Multi-lane free move
Apart from the above-mentioned security, safety and identification (when the white plates are utilized by all sooner or later, the color of the left strip would be the differentiator, eg: inexperienced for EVs) causes, JPJePlate will “act as a variable for the built-in Clever Transportation System (ITS) ecosystem with RFID,” JPJ says.
In different phrases, a standardised quantity plate system with no variation of fonts/spacing/sizing will help in computerized quantity plate recognition (ANPR), which along with RFID are core parts of Multi-lane free move (MLFF). It is going to rid our highways of toll plazas, which are sometimes bottlenecks.
Talking of RFID, the JPJePlate has RFID embedded into the metallic plate itself (versus caught on), which is able to then act as an antenna; that is nonetheless labeled as passive RFID (lively would require an influence supply), however the sign can be a lot stronger than the present stickers employed by Contact n Go. Every JPJePlate comes with a windshield sticker too; this has the identical performance because the metallic plate and the RFID chip on the sticker acts as a backup.
We have been knowledgeable by Tonnjes that the RFID and holograms are made to the identical safety requirements as what’s utilized in worldwide passports, and the RFID ingredient within the plate can be utilized as an identifier at speeds of as much as 230 km/h – right here’s a deep dive into how RFID works within the JPJePlate context.
Not many realise this, however ANPR and RFID are already working collectively at our toll plazas – full story right here. Moreover, there are plans to allow cost for toll (pending agreements with toll concessionaires and TnG), parking (along with ANPR, which is already being utilized in some malls) and even F&B drive-throughs by the quantity plate RFID.
Points and timeline
All of it sounds good, however we do have a couple of questions. In its current kind, the JPJePlate is available in a single 52 x 11 cm measurement, which inserts most automobiles and numbers.
Most, as a result of particular plates just like the MALAYSIA, PATRIOT, PERFECT and PUTRAJAYA collection positively received’t match; it seems to be like 4 alphabets and 4 letters are the utmost that the plate can take, primarily based on the usual font measurement, as demonstrated by IIUM 6763 on the launch. There was additionally a RIMAU automobile, but it surely had simply two digits. The JPJePlate web site has a preview software to your quantity, and keying in MALAYSIA generates a hilariously lengthy plate.
Additionally, automobiles with sq. quantity plate slots like these from the Japanese Home Market (JDM) can have a difficulty – presently, one can simply stack the ABCs and 123s in two ranges, as seen on the Toyota MR2 beneath.
Whereas the federal government has made it very clear that JPJePlate is the longer term, implementation for EVs is simply step one and no timeline was shared. JPJePlate is obligatory for all new EVs registered from now, and is elective for present EV house owners. Nonetheless, the choice to take care of your previous plate is not going to be endlessly.
Buried deep within the FAQ part for enterprise companions, JPJ says that there will probably be a day when all EV house owners should make the change to JPJePlate. “Current ZEV house owners are usually not required to modify instantly, however they may have a transition interval to transform to the brand new ZEV quantity plate. Hold a watch out for bulletins from MOT and JPJ relating to the timeline,” it stated.
Such a mannequin could be employed when JPJePlate reaches the mainstream – necessary for ICE automobiles registered after the introduced date, with a ‘transition interval’ for all different automobiles on the highway to modify. The roads would look humorous although, with a mixture of black and white plates. Nonetheless, in some unspecified time in the future JPJePlate should be made necessary for all, particularly if ANPR and MLFF are to be carried out nationwide.
We reckon that this could be a priority for the transport ministry (or on the very least, it is going to be on their minds), because it includes additional value for the rakyat, who would possibly then react with anger and complaints. It received’t be transfer from a political perspective – very like eradicating blanket gas subsidy – however for progress to be made, the federal government of the day should take a success. No less than there are not any plans to introduce JPJePlate for bikes.
By the best way, the present JPJePlate value of RM98 per set of entrance/rear plates and the windshield sticker, may be very affordable contemplating the tech and embossing. A set of fundamental plastic plates already value round RM60 within the Klang Valley and we’ve seen accent retailers cost as much as RM300 for customized (learn fancy and unlawful) plates.
What do you consider this generational transfer from black to standardised white plates with tech?
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