Chipped Security Number Plates

VEHICLES in the country can look forward to using number plates that come with security features in the near future.

That is an innovation which Penang-based name plate manufacturer Volcano Name Plate Sdn Bhd is planning to introduce to the local and regional market with the help of its European partner.

“Vehicle number plates with QR Code, hologram, UV prints or radio frequency identification (RFID) chips are very popular in Europe as these innovative security features protect the vehicle plates against falsification.

“The RFID chip, for example, allows the number plates to be tracked when they are stolen,” shares Volcano managing director Nelson Ch’ng.

Ch’ng says the company is currently looking into an appropriate business strategy to grow this new segment.

“We will need to inject about RM30mil for a fully automated production line to produce the new number plates,” he says.

You might notice one while sitting at a red light or tailing someone too closely on the highway.

Often, they’re straightforward enough. Other times, they act as short cryptograms, sparking debate among drivers and passengers: What in tarnation does that vanity license plate mean?

The personalized plates are used to convey all kinds of messages with just a handful of letters -- jokes about a family surname, a tongue-in-cheek reference to a profession or an ode to a favorite sports team.

But some vanity plate requests are made in vain. State departments of motor vehicles have a license to kill any plate they deem inappropriate. In 2016, 1,302 plates were rejected in Virginia. In the same year, Tennessee rejected just 18.