- One third of drivers don’t know what green number plates
represent – AA poll
- Some think the driver is an Irish national
- 35 people thought the driver voted Brexit
Almost one third of drivers (31%*) don’t know what green number
plates represent, more than six months after their introduction,
according to a new AA survey of 14,719 drivers.
Six in ten (63%) did correctly state that the green slash on the
numberplate indicated that this was a zero-emission vehicle. The
new numberplates were introduced in December 2020. Younger
drivers were more likely to correctly identify this (74% of 18-24
yr olds) compared to the over 65s (58%).
Drivers in Wales (59%) and Northern Ireland (54%) were least
likely to give the correct answer, whilst those in London,
perhaps due to the high density of EVs, were most likely to get
it right (66%).
Of the 6% who gave an incorrect answer the most popular
misconceptions were:
274 people said it denotes being allowed to park in green zones
53 people thought the driver was an Irish National
36 people said it meant the driver was a member of the Green
Party
35 people said it meant the driver voted Brexit
Edmund King, AA president, who was one of the first to get a
green number plate last December, said: “ The fact that one third
don’t know the meaning of a green numberplate didn’t really
surprise me as a number of people either stare at my number plate
or have asked me about the green plate.
“However, I think these plates will become a more common site as
it is projected that electric vehicles will make up a quarter of
new car sales in 2025.
“These plates indicate there is now a growing range of cars that
are going electric and send out a message that this is becoming
the new normal.
“To encourage a faster uptake, incentives must remain in place to
reduce the purchase price of EVs and home chargers. Radical moves
like cutting VAT on certain EV models would also speed the
uptake.
“The AA is fully prepared as the number one breakdown provider
for EV drivers with more trained patrols to work on EVs, an
innovative towing solution that gets EVs quickly to a charging
point and comprehensive EV insurance which covers cables.”
ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
* Yonder received 14,719 responses from AA members to its online
poll between 8th-16th June 2021. Yonder is a member of the
British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
SMMT projections:
The battery electric vehicle (BEV) market will comprise around
25% of total new car sales in 2025 (up from 6.6% in 2020)
- The new BEV market will rise to 70% of new car sales in 2030
and 100% by 2035.
- Given current vehicle survival rates there is likely to be:
Two million BEVs in the parc in 2025, 5.6% of the total.
Seven million in 2030 or 20% of the total; and approximately 15
million BEVs in 2035 (just over 45% of the total).
