Sacramento has become the first city in the nation to experiment with digital license plates. California’s capital city says it has accepted a shipment of 24 digital plates as part of a pilot program that could eventually become the way of the future.
California is one of three states that will begin testing out the new devices, which rely on the same technology as Kindle eBook readers. It’s not cheap. Those who want to participate in the program will pay $699 per plate, plus a monthly fee of $7. But hey, can you really put a price on history?
As expected, the new plates are already raising privacy concerns. Some are also worried they could become billboards for distracting advertisements, as the city has already said it will use them to display public service announcements.
There are an estimated 116 digital license plates on the streets right now. Expect that number to grow, especially in Sacramento, which is embracing all things tech.
"We want to look at ourselves as a laboratory for a lot of these technology companies," said a proud Louis Stewart, innovation officer for Sacramento. "Come to test in Sacramento, come see how your product or service is viable.”