Electric Vehicles Given The Green Light For Green Number Plates
As of 1st September 2020, the new ‘70’ number plate format comes into use, but the date also marks the arrival of the ‘go-green’ plates. From this date, newly registered electric vehicles (EV) will be the first to display number plates showing a green strip.
The green strip was announced in June by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, to pave the way to a greener future. The idea is to raise the profile of EVs and introduce schemes that encourage buyers to purchase battery-powered vehicles instead of petrol or diesel cars. This movement is all in an effort to succeed in the UK’s aim of becoming carbon neutral by the year 2050. Shapps also announced that the date had been brought forward to ban the sale of new conventionally powered petrol and diesel cars by the year 2035, instead of 2040!
Future incentives include free entry into ‘clean air zones’ and cheaper parking, inspired by a programme implemented in Canada where electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are given free access to car-pool lanes and toll lanes. This sparked proposals late last year in the UK, which originally suggested a fully green plate. However, the design will now be a simple vertical strip of green on the left side of the standard white (front) and yellow (rear) plates.
The Congestion Charge Zone in London’s central district does actually grant free access for electric vehicles already. However, it currently uses data from the DVLA that will determine whether or not the vehicle is battery powered. Going forward, these green plates may make it easier to identify those EVs, and open doors for other local authorities to implement similar policies. Either way, ministers hope that having a green plate will become like a badge of virtue once the awareness and prominence of cleaner vehicles increases.
The Department for Transport announced that research into electric vehicles and hydrogen cars will be funded with a further £12 million. In addition, smaller businesses who are conducting research into zero emissions will be funded a further £2 million.
The more vehicles we see with green plates, the more cleaner vehicles we have on our roads, showing that a greener transport future is within reach! Here are some number plates that would be a great badge of honor to display on an electric vehicle; G2 EEN, GR13 EEN, GO62 EEN, 62 EEN
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