Ford now offers digital number plates in the US – but there’s a catch

US car giant Ford will now sell digital number plates through its stateside dealerships – but only for motorists in California, Arizona and Michigan.

Ford has become the first car-maker in the US to sell its new cars with the option of a digital number plate, though only in a handful of the country’s 50 states.

The special number plates are made by digital plate specialist Reviver, which this week announced its partnership with Ford as an ‘official accessory partner’ to the Blue Oval.

While Reviver still sells its digital number plates privately, Ford owners will now be able to order the ‘RPlate’ from one of the brand’s 300 dealerships in California, Arizona and Michigan – the only states which have so far approved the technology to be used legally.

The first trial of the digital number plates started in California in 2018, later expanding to become available to all members of the public from October 2022.

According to Reviver’s US website, its digital number plates are available with a choice of battery power or wired power, starting from $US599 ($AU935) – not including an optional $US150 ($AU235) installation fee.

The purchase price also includes 60 days of Reviver’s service plan – which allows owners to make changes such as light or dark modes, plus edit the ‘motto’ text on the number plate’s lower portion.

These features are usually priced from $US8 ($AU12.50) per month/$US75 ($AU117) per year for battery plates, or $US10 ($AU16) per month/$US95 ($AU148) per year for wired plates.

Reviver claims the battery-powered RPlates have a five-year battery life, while the wired digital number plates also include location tracking.

All examples of the number plates can be updated to reflect the car’s registration status, or even display that it has been stolen – sending out its location if the plates are subsequently removed.

Digital number plates will not be seen in Australia in the near future, as there are no trials currently testing the technology on local roads, and there are no announced plans to make them legal for use on local roads.

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