LTA, SCDF to seek views on 3 proposed designs for EV licence plates

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will seek feedback from stakeholders on licence plates for electric vehicles (EVs) to distinguish them from other vehicles so that firefighters and traffic cameras can easily recognise them.

Three similar designs have been proposed, subject to feedback and operational requirements. They feature characters in black font, with the plates in different shades of green - dark, gradient or light.

"In developing a suitable design for EV licence plates, LTA and SCDF considered their visibility and ease of identification," they said in a statement on Monday (March 23).

For now, the authorities do not plan to fit electric motorcycles and hybrid-electric vehicles with differentiated licence plates as their batteries are typically much smaller and pose lower risks in an accident.

Certain groups of EVs with coloured licence plates or limited road use will also not be required to install the differentiated licence plates.

Meanwhile, a green round decal with white border has been proposed for selected vehicles.

The stakeholders to be surveyed include authorised motor dealers, selected signcraft workshops, and EV and plug-in hybrid EV owners.

The engagement exercise will be carried out via focus group discussions and online surveys and will take place over a month starting the end of this month. 

The number of EVs on the roads have risen over the years. They formed 7.4 per cent of the total car population at the end of last year, but comprised 45 per cent of all new cars registered last year. And from 2030, all new cars sold will have to be EVs or hybrid EVs.

Last month, Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong told Parliament that while research has shown that fires in EVs are less likely than in internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs pose different risks when they catch fire, and require a different management approach.

Tong, who is also Minister for Law, explained that having a different licence plate can alert first responders to adopt specialised procedures during an incident, including establishing a wider safety cordon to account for more intense flames, while members of the public can take precautions to stay away.

Several European countries, including Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, have introduced differentiated licence plates for EVs. Closer to home, Taiwan also distinguishes EVs through licence plates.

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