PUTRAJAYA: The government will introduce special license plate frames for electric vehicles (EVs) to distinguish them from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the special plate frames will be issued by the vehicle manufacturers and installed directly onto the vehicles.
"We will introduce special plates, not (vehicle registration) numbers, to differentiate between EV and ICE vehicles soon.
"The plates will be issued by the respective vehicle companies, so we will work with them regarding the materials to be used and so on.
"I don't want to announce it today, please wait for the details," he said at a press conference here today.
Previously, Loke said unique license plates are useful for identification purposes, safety and to facilitate rescue operations in the event of an incident.
He said rescue teams, especially the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM), face difficulties in distinguishing between EVs and regular vehicles based solely on appearance.
Meanwhile, Loke said there are no plans to reduce road tax rates for ICE vehicles, following the introduction of the Motor Vehicle License (LKM) fees for EVs.
He said the government does not intend to make changes to the LKM fees for ICE vehicles because the existing rates are already low and reasonable.
"No (intention to reduce LKM fees for ICE vehicles) because we are currently encouraging the use of EVs and now we are focusing on reducing road tax prices for EVs.
"For existing ICE vehicles, at this time we are not making changes to the road tax (prices) because most people still use ICE, and if we want to increase the rate, it might affect their costs," he said.