YES, RMV is issuing new numbers from EA series for registered numbers between 18 to 302 series, case by case, regardless of the old number.
(let,s say EA-0001 assigned for 301 number, then EA-0002 can obtain even 19 or 18 car. So just looking at the Number we can’t determine whether it’s a new or old one.)
Only reference is the vehicle’s book. (They include the old number within that)