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consultation launched on introducing green number
plates to celebrate and encourage uptake of electric
vehicles
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green licence plates mean cleanest cars will be easily
identifiable, helping their drivers to benefit from local
incentives such as free or cheaper parking
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announcement will turbo-charge the zero emission
revolution and help the government achieve its target of net
zero emissions by 2050
Electric vehicles may become even greener, the government has
announced today (22 October 2019) with the launch of
a consultation on
introducing green number plates for zero emission cars.
As the UK moves at
pace towards net zero emissions, the initiative aims to raise
awareness of the increasing number of zero tailpipe emission
vehicles on UK roads, help their drivers to
benefit more easily from local incentives like free or cheaper
parking and encourage greater uptake of new vehicle technology.
The announcement marks another milestone for the
government’s Road to Zero Strategy,
a £1.5 billion package of support which aims to make
the UKthe best place in
the world to own an electric vehicle. Since the strategy’s
publication, the UK has seen record numbers of zero
emission vehicles registered and the government has marked its
intention to be the first G7country to legislate for net zero emissions
by 2050.
Through the introduction of green number plates, local
authorities would have a useful visual identifier should they
wish to introduce incentives to promote the use of zero emission
vehicles, such as allowing these drivers to use bus lanes and to
pay less for parking. A similar scheme was trialled in Ontario
with drivers of electric vehicles given free access to toll lanes
and high occupancy vehicle lanes. Ontario saw an increase in
electric vehicle registrations.
Transport Secretary said:
The UK is in the
driving seat of global efforts to tackle vehicle emissions and
climate change and improve air quality, but we want to
accelerate our progress.
Green number plates are a really positive and exciting way to
help everyone recognise the increasing number of electric
vehicles on our roads.
By increasing awareness of these vehicles and the benefits they
bring to their drivers and our environment, we will
turbo-charge the zero emission revolution.
Elisabeth Costa, Senior Director at the Behavioural Insights
Team, said:
The number of clean vehicles on our roads is increasing but we
don’t notice as it’s difficult to tell clean vehicles apart
from more polluting ones.
Green number plates make these vehicles, and our decision to
drive in a more environmentally-friendly way, more visible on
roads. We think making the changing social norm noticeable will
help encourage more of us to swap our cars for cleaner options.
Potential plate designs include:
- a fully green number plate with black lettering
- the addition of a green flash on the plate
- the addition of a green dot or symbol
The consultation seeks views from industry and the public on a
number of aspects surrounding the scheme, including vehicle
eligibility, number plate design and the rollout of the plates.
It follows the Transport Secretary’s recent announcement that he
has doubled funding for
chargepoints on residential streets, to help make charging an
electric car easier for those without access to off-street
parking. The government is also currently reviewing responses
to the consultation on requiring chargepoints to be built into
all new homes with a parking space.
