California Tests Digital License Plates

California’s Dept. of Motor Vehicles has begun testing digital license plates in Sacramento.

The plates, which are produced by Foster City, Calif.-based Reviver Auto, use technology developed for e-book readers. Powered by its own computer chip and battery, the digital display can switch between vehicle identification information and other content.

Sacramento, which is conducting a pilot program on 24 government vehicles, is the first city in the U.S. to test the technology. A similar program began earlier this year in Dubai and Reviver has licensing agreements in Arizona, Florida and Texas.

If the plates are approved in California, Reviver plans to sell them through dealerships for $700 plus a monthly fee of $7 and installation costs. Initial applications are expected to be to fleet managers, which could use the plates to track a car’s location and advertise their company when the vehicle isn’t moving.

Vehicle ownership and other driver information can be updated as needed via a smartphone app, eliminating the need to physically stick tags on the plates each year.

In Dubai, the plates will be linked with the Roads and Transport Authority in to provide vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure information. This will allow the plates to provide information about accidents, traffic congestion, approaching emergency vehicles and other changing road conditions. Drivers who connect a smart wallet to the plates also will be able to pay for parking and registration fees digitally.