Will electronic license plates soon be available in Germany?
Digitalization is now also making itself felt in road traffic: In the US states of Arizona, California, Michigan and Texas, for example, electronic license plates are already a reality. These smart license plates offer numerous advantages – from automatic updating to improved theft protection. While the technology continues to advance in the USA, its introduction in Germany is probably still a long way off. This is indicated by recent statements from the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) to Inside Digital. According to them, the ministry led by Volker Wissing (FDP) had already discussed the introduction of electronic license plates when digital vehicle registration began, but ultimately rejected the idea for various reasons.
EU-wide harmonization necessary
“The idea was to introduce a digital license plate that could be accessed from the outside and secured against misuse, which would be activated after approval in an official procedure and Decommissioning can be deactivated,” a BMDV spokesperson told Inside Digital. However, given the considerable costs this would entail for citizens, this idea was rejected. But legal and technical challenges also stood in the way of an early introduction. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, implementation would only be feasible if the license plate were linked to the electronics integrated in the vehicle. This in turn would require uniform technical standards for all vehicles. However, these technical requirements are subject to full harmonization through EU law.
US company Reviver as a pioneer
The best-known provider of electronic license plates is probably the US company Reviver with its “RPlate” which costs 599 US dollars (around 540 euros). It is currently available in two versions: a battery-operated version with a monochrome HD display and a five-year battery life, and a wired version that also includes lighting and a GPS tracker. The special thing about it: if the owner reports the vehicle as stolen, for example, a corresponding warning is activated on the display to alert other road users and the police. These features apparently convinced not only many vehicle owners, but also the US car manufacturer. ford: Since October 2023, it has been offering its customers the electric license plate as a factory extra.
BMDV still sees possibilities
However, the electric license plate is not completely off the table in Germany: As the BMDV announced, a purely alternative market solution for optional use by owners has not yet been discussed. In concrete terms, this means that if the federal government decides to do so, vehicle owners would be free to opt for an electric license plate. Whether and how this would be compatible with EU law is uncertain, however.
