This week, the federal government launched particular plates for electrical automobiles – distinctive white background plates with Euro-style fonts and an identifier strip on the left aspect. Color and font apart, one other massive 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 undertaking to make it simple to distinguish EVs from ICE-powered vehicles. Will probably be the first identification for enforcement motion (EV-only parking, for instance) as nicely in accidents, making certain an applicable response throughout emergencies – EVs fires must be countered in a different way, as an example.
JPJePlate is for now necessary just for new EVs, and the remainder of us (together with EVs which are already on the highway) can proceed to make use of our plastic black plates. However be in little question that this is step one in direction of standardised plates for all new automobiles excluding bikes sooner or later.
Malaysia is outdated, an outlier
Travellers, have you ever ever puzzled why Malaysia is seemingly ‘lawless’ and free-for-all in the case 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 listing of nations with probably the most skyscrapers behind China, USA and the UAE? We even have a excessive inhabitants of good vehicles right here.
It’s a uncommon scenario that’s greater than a bit unusual. At a pre-launch briefing, the transport ministry stated that Malaysia is amongst 5% of the international locations nonetheless utilizing conventional acrylic plates globally, and it’s trying to regularly transfer away from that.
The initiative to introduce JPJePlate is aimed toward exploring the eventual standardisation of the licence plate for all new automobiles registered in Malaysia, successfully eliminating fancy fonts/non-regulation plates and lowering the probability 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 may even enhance visibility facets of a automobile through the evening, making certain higher highway security. This jogs my memory of the numerous instances the place automobiles (normally bikes) ram right into a stationary automobile in the dead of night, including to our grim highway accident fatality fee.
The long run, indisputably
The FAQ web page of JPJePlate additionally factors to the ‘white Euro plates’ being the long run for all automobiles in Malaysia, excluding bikes. The official description of JPJePlate is “an initiative.. to revolutionise the transport business. Its main purpose 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 Automobiles (ZEVs), which embody electrical motor automobiles (EVs) aside from bikes which are absolutely powered by electrical batteries (Plug-in EV/Battery Cell) or by hydrogen gasoline cells (Hydrogen Gas-Cell EV), by way of a Nationwide Roll Out (NRO). Additional expansions to incorporate different varieties of automobiles will likely 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 model, 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 automotive 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 be permitting the 52 x 11 cm steel plates to be held by a standard plastic body, as some automobile homeowners worry harm from the screws.
At the moment, Handal Ceria is the only firm appointed by way of an open tender course of to deal with the provision and ordering of JPJePlate. It’s a low quantity pilot undertaking for now, and there’s a have to 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 method is a sensible step by the transport ministry and JPJ to collaborate, streamline the method, and deal with any points which will come up. The implementation will likely be expanded to incorporate all varieties of automobiles within the subsequent phases, and the addition of extra suppliers will likely be thought of,” JPJ stated.
Observe the ‘expanded to incorporate all varieties of automobiles’ line as yet one more express point out of the NRO.
RFID and ANPR for Multi-lane free move
Other than 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 automated quantity plate recognition (ANPR), which along with RFID are core parts of Multi-lane free move (MLFF). It would rid our highways of toll plazas, which are sometimes bottlenecks.
Talking of RFID, the JPJePlate has RFID embedded into the steel plate itself (versus caught on), which is able to then act as an antenna; that is nonetheless categorised 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 steel plate and the RFID chip on the sticker acts as a backup.
We had 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 factor 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 fee 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 number of questions. In its current type, the JPJePlate is available in a single 52 x 11 cm measurement, which inserts most vehicles and numbers.
Most, as a result of particular plates just like the MALAYSIA, PATRIOT, PERFECT and PUTRAJAYA collection positively gained’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 automotive, 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, vehicles with sq. quantity plate slots like these from the Japanese Home Market (JDM) can have a problem – at the moment, one can simply stack the ABCs and 123s in two ranges, as seen on the Toyota MR2 under.
Whereas the federal government has made it very clear that JPJePlate is the long run, 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 current EV homeowners. Nevertheless, the choice to take care of your outdated plate is not going to be eternally.
Buried deep within the FAQ part for enterprise companions, JPJ says that there will likely be a day when all EV homeowners must make the change to JPJePlate. “Present ZEV homeowners should not required to modify instantly, however they’ll have a transition interval to transform to the brand new ZEV quantity plate. Maintain 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 vehicles registered after the introduced date, with a ‘transition interval’ for all different vehicles on the highway to modify. The roads would look humorous although, with a mixture of black and white plates. Nevertheless, in some unspecified time in the future JPJePlate must be made necessary for all, particularly if ANPR and MLFF are to be applied nationwide.
We reckon that this is able to be a priority for the transport ministry (or on the very least, will probably be on their minds), because it includes additional price for the rakyat, who would possibly then react with anger and complaints. It gained’t be a very good transfer from a political perspective – very similar to eradicating blanket gasoline subsidy – however for progress to be made, the federal government of the day must take a success. A minimum of there aren’t 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, could be very cheap contemplating the tech and embossing. A set of fundamental plastic plates already price 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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