Electronic License Plate Tells Everyone When You’ve Been Bad

A South Carolina startup company is developing an electronic license plate that can be activated wirelessly by authorities to indicate the tag has expired, the vehicle is uninsured or the owner's driver license has been suspended.

Columbia-based Compliance Innovations LLC says switching to its "e-tags" could help law enforcement agents quickly identify vehicles that are stolen or involved in a crime. The company also notes that the electronic plates could be renewed remotely, thus ending the need for annual stickers or new plates.

An e-tag is made of an electronic paper that needs no power to hold an image for 10 years. It requires energy only when changing its display. The power required for those occasions could be collected by a solar film over the tag or with an unspecified mechanical system that generates power from vehicle vibrations, according to the company.

Cost is a major hurdle for the technology. A standard metal plate costs less than $7, but developers say they hope to reduce the cost to "under $100."

Still, Compliance Innovations figures South Carolina loses $150 million per year because of drivers with no insurance or whose tags have expired. The startup is trying to arrange a test of its technology with a fleet of state-owned vehicles.