Some new requirements for those registering a new EV (all other zero emissions vehicles included) in Malaysia including the new JPJePlate.
The Malaysian government has been pretty generous with its tax breaks and incentives to encourage battery electric vehicle adoption in the country. It was almost too generous and too poorly thought out a scheme as many were left to wonder what the new road tax scheme would look like for their EVs post 2025. Now that the road tax issue has been sorted, the Ministry of Transport has found some other new ways to start making some revenue for the government off of EV sales.
Today we’re learning of two requirements that the government will be putting into place for all newly registered zero emissions vehicles (battery electric vehicles and possible hydrogen fuel cell vehicles though they were not specifically named). For simplicity’s sake we will refer to them as ‘EVs’ instead of ZEVs as stated in the official press release. In fact, further clarification revealed that this new plate requirement will only apply to cars and not to electric bikes.
The first requirement is that all newly registered EVs must be equipped with a new design of number plate known as the ‘JPJePlate’.
The second requirement is that all newly registered EVs must have the prefix ‘EV’ in the vehicle registration number.
It’s worth noting that these requirements do not apply to the 12,850 EVs already registered for use in Malaysia. Existing EV owners looking to voluntarily opt in for the new JPJePlate can make reservations here as early as November 2024 but the priority for JPJ will be to roll these new plates out to newly registered EV owners first. Now let’s look into these two requirements more closely as they are quite different.
JPJePlate
The new JPJePlate design features a white background with black lettering and numbering in a new font that deviates from JPJ’s previous published standard. The new JPJePlate features “retro-reflective” features to improve visibility at night. This makes cars more visible at night and makes the registration numbers easier to read by law enforcement officers.
The second stand-out feature is an anti-cloning hologram, which is said to minimize the risk of theft and fraud. That being said it will probably also drive up the cost of replacement plates versus the current version. As these plates will be EV-exclusive (for now), they also help Bomba to more easily identify electric vehicles in an emergency. Remember that some cars have ICE and EV versions with very minimal differences like a grille change. In an accident, that grille may not be visible. Finally, these plates come with RFID technology integrated, allowing for the rollout of the Intelligent Transport System – something the government and highway concessionaires can work out in future.
For now, the JPJePlate is available for just RM98 per set and this includes front and back plates, an RFID mirror sticker and standard delivery charges. They are made by Handal Ceria Sdn Bhd, who were the winning vendor. This company is related to the company that operates Causeway Link buses known for their routes between Johor and Singapore.
Special Registration Numbers
Besides the new JPJePlate design, there will be a new Special Registration Number prefix “EV” which will be required on all newly-registered EVs. Non-EV vehicles CANNOT be registered with this prefix. “EV” will be followed by “EVA” and then “EVB” and so on. The bidding wars have already begun for this prefix (EV 1 has already been pre-booked). and part of the proceeds from the bidding process will be used to fund helmet exchange programs and motorcycle license training for the underprivileged. Bidding for the EV prefix ends at 10pm 13 September 2024.
