The Registry of Massachusetts announced that special license plates for electric vehicles are now available to owners of these cars. The RMV says that the new “EV” plates will be available for any passenger or commercial vehicle that is either an electric powered or a hybrid vehicle. Even better, there will be no special annual fee for this plate and a normal one-time plate replacement fee will cost $20.
“Public safety officials are studying how to immobilize and power down electric and hybrid vehicles, how to approach an EV fire and also learning new extrication procedures,” said MassDOT Secretary Davey. “They must be able to recognize the vehicle as an EV vehicle. The availability of this plate helps assure quick identification.”
“With the MBTA already a user of hybrid electrical vehicles, these new electric vehicle plates will identify the vehicles to emergency responders and demonstrate MassDOT’s contribution to a better environment,” said Acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis.
“This new plate not only identifies the driver as environmentally friendly, it also alerts public safety officials that they may need to disable the vehicle displaying the EV plate differently in the event of an accident,” said RMV Registrar Rachel Kaprielian.
With this announcement, Massachusetts becomes only the second state in the Union to offer “EV” plates. Unlike special designation plates which carry a fee that usually helps raise funds for a specific, non-profit or charity, EV plates will not carry a special fee because they are designed with safety purposes in mind.
Agents who are interested in advising their insureds about this new offering should note that all applicants must present an RMV-3 form in person in order to swap a current plate or order a new one.
