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Digital License Plates Are Now Allowed in Michigan (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the new,-improved,-and-costlier dept.

Digital license plates are now allowed in Michigan thanks to a new state law. It will join California and Arizona as one of the few states in the US that allow digital license plates, allowing drivers to register their cars electronically and eschew old-school metal plates. From a report: To be clear, digital license plates consist of displays covered in glass that are mounted onto a frame. They come with their own computer chips and wireless communication systems. Some of the benefits of using digital licenses versus old metal ones are the ability to display Amber alerts or stolen vehicle messages when needed, but they could also make it easier to digitally renew license plates over the years. That comes at a price, though. Currently, they cost $499 for a basic version, and $799 for a premium version that features a GPS navigation add-on.

16 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. More convenient for the government and banks maybe by spazmonkey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Seems like the ability to always know your location and/or shut off your ability to legally drive if you have unpaid tickets, warrants, or some other infraction is the only real advantage. I am sure banks will use this for people behind in payments too. I see no consumer advantage to this at all, but we get to pay extra for it.

  2. Digital License plates are another tracking method by Puls4r · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have yet to see a single coherent argument for digital license plates. They cost a ton, have wireless (means they can be hacked), batteries will die....just so many many reasons. They are totally WORTHLESS for displaying amber alerts. Whichever idiot came up with that should be shitcanned now. You can't read license plates half the time right now because of dirt or covers or - reasons. Now you're what - going to obscur my license plate number and flash different colors? And you think the guy behind me is going to give a shit? Or read it?

    I could go on and on. But pretty much everyone agrees this is a horrible idea that has it's roots in yet another way to track people.

  3. What is the ROI? by sjbe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Some of the benefits of using digital licenses versus old metal ones are the ability to display Amber alerts or stolen vehicle messages when needed

    Not to seem callous but why would I pay (a lot) extra for the ability to display Amber alerts? And there already are pretty good and more affordable solutions for stolen cars.

    Currently, they cost $499 for a basic version, and $799 for a premium version that features a GPS navigation add-on.

    WTF could these things do that would possibly justify such a price point? I already have GPS in my car and my phone so that's a non-starter, especially given that it wouldn't probably be integrated into the car's infotainment system. If my car gets stolen that's what insurance is for and shockingly my insurance appears cheaper than these things. I'm all for doing things a better way but I don't see any meaningful benefit here.

  4. renew? by houghi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In Belgium you get your license plate once. You take them with you when you get a new car. When you do not need them, you bring em back i.e. drop them off at the post office.

    It is just there, so they can check the database. Plenty are 20+ years old. No need to recharge the batteries.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    1. Re:renew? by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      In Belgium you get your license plate once. You take them with you when you get a new car. When you do not need them, you bring em back i.e. drop them off at the post office.

      In the US you keep the plate but have to renew the registration every year. Usually costs about $20-25, plus tack on another $20 for yearly required emissions. So, even at $50 a year for registration the basic plate would take 10 years before the purchase price is paid off. Now, what are the odds that an electronic plate will last 10 years without damage/needing to be replaced/etc?

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    2. Re:renew? by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In Belgium you get your license plate once. You take them with you when you get a new car. When you do not need them, you bring em back i.e. drop them off at the post office.

      In the US you keep the plate but have to renew the registration every year. Usually costs about $20-25, plus tack on another $20 for yearly required emissions. So, even at $50 a year for registration the basic plate would take 10 years before the purchase price is paid off. Now, what are the odds that an electronic plate will last 10 years without damage/needing to be replaced/etc?

      You also pay a $7/month subscription fee for the plate; plus I doubt the DMV is going to lower the registration costs. I really don't see any great value beyond perhaps more unique vanity tags and the ability for the state to us it to identify vehicles, such as changing or flashing the number to Expired, Stolen, Amber Alert, etc. and to collect some extra cash each month. Of course, no one would figure out how to access it and change the display to something more interesting.

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  5. Re:Digital License plates are another tracking met by jeff4747 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They are totally WORTHLESS for displaying amber alerts.

    Typically, the police are looking for a particular vehicle during an Amber alert.

    They idea is not to show that Amber alert on other people's cars. It's to make the target vehicle's license plate blink/flash/otherwise draw attention to the vehicle.

  6. Tracking by sjbe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Primary use is for tracking.

    Presumably but I don't seem much reason to buy one for that since it doesn't benefit me in the slightest. My phone doing it is bad enough already.

    Some countries are considering it to assess road taxes.

    Which would be idiotic. Tax fuel (gasoline, diesel, and/or electricity) at appropriate levels and you accomplish the sensible goal of taxing in close accordance with utilization. The bigger the vehicle and the more someone drives the more fuel they will use. Trying to track mileage via a plate is idiotic.

    The other reason is to enrich government and its cronies.

    Probably closer to the truth.

    1. Re: Tracking by link-error · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Or, you could just look at the odometer which correlates perfectly with milage.

      --
      -Unresolved symbol? Byte me!
  7. Re:Digital License plates are another tracking met by chuckugly · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So all we have to do is get all the kiddie fiddlers to buy $500 plates. Well on second thought, brilliant!

  8. Re:KISS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's extremely wasteful. None of these digital plates will make 10 years of life and just end up in landfills. You'd think California would have thought about the toxic e-waste these things are going to end up making.

    There needs to be legislation to regulate such wasteful, throw away products. Digital plates should be made illegal at the federal level. Along with millions of other trinkets that corporations buy for giveaways (just as an example). They are all cheap throw away shit, consuming resources, polluting the environment in every step of their life from the production of the raw materials to the production of the product to the shipping of the product and then ending up in a landfill after it's used for 15 minutes and tossed.

  9. Re:Digital License plates are another tracking met by jeff4747 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Amber alert angle is designed to sell the plates to the state government, who would then mandate them on cars. Or as a reason for someone like GM to integrate them into the car for OnStar's "we stop the bad guys" angle.

    If they were mandated, presumably the cost would be lower due to the large volume produced. For now, it's a very niche product so it's expensive.

  10. You can see it coming by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So all we have to do is get all the kiddie fiddlers to buy $500 plates.

    So the next obvious step is to mandate all sex offenders registering in the state, must in fact buy these plates... who would vote against that?

    Then from there you do felons, then from there anyone who gets arrested for any reason, then from there everyone.

    You can see it coming...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  11. Re:Count me out! by EvilSS · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm keeping my license plate analog. If my license plate were to have discrete letters and digits, that would just make it easier for cops to identify me.

    Did you get vanity plate 88BB8B8 or O0O00O0?

    https://xkcd.com/1105/

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  12. Re:Digital License plates are another tracking met by EvilSS · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I have yet to see a single coherent argument for digital license plates.

    Here's one: The implementation will probably be so shitty they will be hackable by the owner to display whatever you want. I'm sure a certain segment of society could find that useful.

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  13. Re:Digital License plates are another tracking met by magarity · · Score: 4, Informative

    So all we have to do is get all the kiddie fiddlers to buy $500 plates. Well on second thought, brilliant!

    Over half of Amber alerts are not "kiddie fiddlers" but a parent on the wrong side of a custody dispute.