LIDDAT

EV car plate: what year?

When the EV series came out, how old a EV car can be, and when its COE runs out.

The EV series came outDecember 1982It was the newest series for 3 months, until EW in March 1983.

A car with an EV plate was registered in December 1982 or later. A number can be bid for after its series opens, or kept from an older car, so the car can be newer than its plate, never older.

Registered no earlier thanDecember 1982
So no older than43 years and 11 months (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilMarch 1983 (EW)
Plates in the seriesEV 1 Y to EV 9999 J

Check an EV plateโ€™s last letter

The series around EV

SeriesCame out
ESNovember 1981
ETApril 1982
EUAugust 1982
EVDecember 1982
EWMarch 1983
EXJuly 1983
EYOctober 1983

Also from 1982: ET, EU.

From LTAโ€™s list of car prefixes on DataMall: from SDQ (December 2001) on, the month a series first opened for bidding; before that, the month it came out. Every series is on the car plate page, and in one CSV.

Questions

What year is an EV car plate?

The EV series came out in December 1982. It was the newest series for 3 months, until EW in March 1983. So a car with an EV plate was registered in December 1982 or later: a number can be bid for after its series opens, or kept from an older car, so the car can be newer than its plate, never older.

How old is a car with an EV plate?

No older than 43 years and 11 months (in November 2026), counted from December 1982, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an EV carโ€™s COE end?

The COE system began in May 1990, after the EV series came out, so a car registered before then needed none when new. From May 1990 a new car gets a 10-year COE, renewable for 5 or 10 years at the Prevailing Quota Premium: see the latest COE prices and PQP.

What comes after EV?

EW, which came out in March 1983, then EX in July 1983. Before EV came EU (August 1982).

What letter does EV 1234 end in?

EV 1234 K. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: EV 1 Y, EV 88 Y, EV 8888 C. Check any EV plate.

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