Ford is first car manufacturer to offer digital license plates
“Modern licensing for modern living,” is the motto for Reviver, the California company that offers digital license plates. And now comes word that Ford is the first manufacturer to embrace Reviver’s “world’s first” digital plates, legal in Michigan, California, and Arizona for all users. They are also legal in Texas, but just for commercial fleet vehicles.
Under the agreement with Ford dealers in the legal states, the RPlate, which is what Reviver calls the plate, will be assigned a Ford part number. Drivers will be able to purchase the RPlate via catalog or in person at a dealership.
“To be associated with a landmark brand in the automotive industry such as Ford is truly gratifying,” said Reviver founder and chief strategy officer Neville Boston. “We are very proud to have met the rigorous requirements for the company’s evaluation of potential suppliers and look forward to adding the innovations of digital license plate technology to their offerings.”
Count digital license plates as something you never knew you needed. “Everything about the driving experience has evolved in the last 100 years,” Reviver says, “except license plates.” Yes, well …
“Reviver’s digital license plates are not just a cosmetic upgrade; they are a testament to progress. Depending on the model, key features include personalized displays with custom messaging, location tracking, effortless registration renewal through a user-friendly mobile app, real-time alerts when the vehicle is moved, tamper-proof mounting, and robust anti-theft measures.”
The plates, says Reviver, also mean metal plates won’t clog landfills, assuming that’s an issue somewhere, thus leading the automotive world “into a greener future.”
Reviver offers both a user-installable model, with a replaceable battery, and a hard-wired, professionally installed version, meaning there are two ways to go: The Battery RPlate, with a five-year battery and with no location tracking, or the Wired RPlate, which does include location tracking and requires installation by a pro.
The price starts at $599, plus the service plan, something you never thought you would need for a license plate. Your RPlate does not need an active service plan to display your license plate number. “However, you will not be able to utilize any personalization or compliance features as listed above. Without its connection to our platform, the registration year on the plate will not update.”
Sixty days of service are included with purchase. After that period is up, you will pay $8 a month or $75 a year for battery-powered RPlates, and $10 a month or $95 a year for wired RPlates.
Unfortunately for Reviver, the photos of digital license plates on its website pretty much look like regular metal plates; they don’t do a lot of tricks. But for those Jeep Wrangler buyers who insist on putting every accessory that exists on the vehicle, well, this is one more thing.
***
Check out the Hagerty Media homepage so you don’t miss a single story, or better yet, bookmark it. To get our best stories delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters.
That price is a joke right? $599 up front plus I have to pay monthly and I have to pay the DMV on top of it! I will walk or ride a bike before that happens.
No worry. Just keep your “old school” aluminum plate. 😁
The volume of negative comments provides reassurance that the whole world has not lost its head yet.
One word: Useless!
It’s funny how Reviver is trying to tout every possible trumped-up marketing angle other than the one that truly sells these: vanity.
While it’s true that there may be some marginal value as described in their marketing, most of that value is available elsewhere. Vehicle tracking? Already in on-board telematics. Real-time alerts when the vehicle is moved? Same. Tamper-proof mounting and robust anti-theft measures? OK, but how many people actually have had a license plate stolen? I haven’t, and neither has anyone I know. If I was really worried, I’d just install my plates with some tamper-proof screws, or the non-reversible ones. That’s a $2 solution to a nearly non-existent problem.
So maybe easy DMV renewal is a benefit. Well, I can do that on-the-spot at the emissions station, as can most people, I imagine. If a state doesn’t require emissions or safety inspections, I’ll bet that renewal can be done online. Why do I need to pay up to $100/year for easy renewal? That’s on top of up to $600 for a plate that the DMV gives me for free.
The bottom line: vanity is what sells these.
I forgot to mention my favorite hyperbole: metal plates won’t clog landfills, assuming that’s an issue somewhere, thus leading the automotive world “into a greener future.”
Let’s see, a piece of non-recyclable e-waste or a piece of easily recyclable aluminum. Hmm, which one is greener?
UMMM – no.
Best part – old metal plates filling up landfills….LOL. I have my old metal plates – wall “art” in the garage.
Unlike everyone else here, I think this is a brilliant idea!!
JK. This is another product that is painfully pointless.
…this is pretty much the stupidest thing I’ve seen all day.
I just hope that some of the state legislatures don’t see this as a way to turn over vehicle registration and the issuing of license plates over to a private company like Reviver. I have read that you can also place a personalized message on your digital plate and if you let your registration lapse, Reviver can put an expired message across your digital plate. I think different colors are also offered. All of this will just significantly raise the registration fees required to license your vehicle and the states won’t have to deal with the issuance of license plates and registration renewals, etc.
Not a single positive comment. Well one, but I think it was sarcasm. I would not invest a dime in this company. Vanity plates are expensive enough, without the added expense of these. Oh, and I’ve never seen a metal plate have an electronic failure. And like another post said, anti-theft screws are a couple of bucks.
The tone of the article clearly suggests that the writer though it was a stupid idea as well. What I’m wondering is, who at Ford was dumb enough to get behind this thing?
Yet another monthly payment–WoW-people are easily Suckered–
Unbelievable if society continues to trade their privacy for trends sold as convenience. I can see next revision will be digitally signed bluetooth connections to law enforcement to uniquely identify the vehicle. Another cloud service to pour your personal data into. Oh, and then the automatic disable feature when your account or battery or internet connection expires.
This is not true. Ford is not the first OEM to offer these Digital License Plates. Faraday Future has a part number and has been supplying them as an option to User’s since their first sales and leased vehicles.
Faraday Future defines itself as a tech company and hasn’t actually sold any cars, has it? If I recall correctly FF only delivered its first vehicle in August of this year and it went to a FF executive.