If you have a keen eye for vehicles, you may have noticed a large influx of cars with green number plates whizzing around your local area – you may ask yourself: what exactly does a green stripe on a number plate mean, and do I need one?
If you’re the owner of an electric vehicle, getting the illustrious stripe of green on your number plate boasts the promise of providing you with great benefits!
The green stripe is an indicator of a zero-emission vehicle which was introduced in 2020 and is commonplace on newly registered and existing electric cars.
These electric car number plates, or ‘e number plates’, are designed to incentivise car owners to make the switch to zero-emission vehicles. However, they’re not all just for show!
There are some huge benefits you can reap by getting a specific electric vehicle number plate for your automobile, which local councils are planning to implement in the coming years.
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Why Bother with Green Registration Plates?
On top of their flashy appearance, which will show the whole world just how eco-friendly you are, a number plate with a green stripe will soon be used to allow you added benefits in comparison to regular drivers.
If your car has electric number plates, you may be eligible for plenty of perks that will be sure to make driving much cheaper for you.
For example, some uses of the green stripe number plates in local authorities include free entry into ‘Clean Air Zones‘. These zones charge vehicles to pass through them in an effort to reduce harmful emissions, but if you have an electric vehicle number plate, you could avoid the fee!
As well as this, green registration plates could allow you to get cheaper parking and the use of bus lanes in some areas.
However, it must be stressed that the benefits of a number plate with a green stripe will differ depending on your local region.
It’s important to check with your local council to see what benefits a green strip number plate could have for you.
Furthermore, green EV plates are also compatible with all the ‘premium’ character styles, including 4D number plates and gel number plates.
The Current Stance on Electric Number Plates
While the potential benefits of a green number plate listed in the previous section would be great for electric vehicle owners, the reality of the case is slightly different.
Since their introduction in December 2020, none of England’s 343 local authorities has actually implemented any incentives!
The green registration plates introduction was hailed by the transport minister Racheal Maclean, who emphasised that the green stripe could “unlock a number of incentives for drivers”, yet right now, they simply act as an indicator that your car is zero-emissions.
Diving down the rabbit hole, green number plates also have raised a few concerns from local councils such as Camden.
For example, the Camden Council in London stated that at this time, they would not be comfortable with using green stripe number plates as a way to identify electric vehicles because they had encountered incidents of the stripes being used fraudulently.
So, as of now, your green stripe number plate may not reap the benefits you desire. However, the slow pace of the introduction of electric number plates could be due to the fact that local councils don’t currently see it as a priority in the wake of the post-COVID cost of living crisis.
However, since the government has given the plates the ‘green’ light to introduce perks and benefits, we will hopefully see some action on the matter soon.
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Do I Need a Green Stripe Number Plate?
It’s not compulsory to have green number plates if you drive an electric vehicle, and plenty of authorities have other ways to check if your car is zero-emissions.
For instance, Clean Air Zones in populated areas often use plate recognition cameras which will immediately flash your car as zero emissions despite a lack of a green stripe on the registration plate, which means you won’t have to pay a fee regardless.
Despite this, it’s a great idea to hop on board with a green number plate early since plenty of perks and benefits are being drawn up by the government for zero-emission vehicles in an aim to curb the effects of climate change.
Unfortunately, some of these new additions may not involve automatic license plate cameras, meaning you may need the green stripe to prove that your vehicle is zero-emissions with ease.
While it currently may seem like there isn’t much point in getting these green number plates for your car since they are now commonplace, it’s a good idea to get them installed in case of any future action from local councils – that is if you’re not put off by a big green stripe on the side of your number plate!
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Build Your Number PlatesDoes my Car Qualify for Green Number Plates?
If your car is a zero-emission vehicle, then you will be eligible for a green number plate. In addition, you will qualify for green number plates if your vehicle is battery electric, full electric, or hydrogen fuel powered.
If your car is a hybrid, you may not be eligible. This is because you still have the option to drive using traditional fuel, and there is no way for authorities to distinguish whether your car is operating in a zero-emission mode.
You also won’t be eligible if your vehicle is a low-emission petrol or diesel vehicle since these vehicles still emit some dangerous fuels, despite being better for the environment than a regular gas-powered vehicle.
Will my Green Registration Plates Work in Other Countries?
Plenty of countries across the globe are utilising similar schemes to increase the purchases of electric vehicles.
These countries include Canada, China, Hungary, and Norway. However, as of now, it’s not clear whether your UK-registered car will reap the benefits of foreign travels.
However, the increasing demand for eco-friendly vehicles tells us that the UK and other countries alike would benefit from a globalised ‘green number plate’ scheme since it would certainly increase the sales of electric vehicles. As of now, this isn’t the case, but it’s a very likely possibility in the future.
Are Green Number Plates a Fad or The Future?
You may be a little disheartened by the lack of action on the local council’s part in implementing benefits for green number plate owners.
This, added with the fact that they don’t provide you with any substantial perks abroad either, could put you off of them for good!
This has plenty of the public feeling like their green stripe number plate is simply a status symbol to highlight how eco-friendly their car is.
While it is the case that green number plates currently won’t provide you with many of the perks promised by the government, it doesn’t mean that will always be the case.
Anyone with an eye on current events knows that climate change is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and zero-emission vehicles are becoming increasingly commonplace.
This has led to a better infrastructure for electric vehicles, such as an increase in the density of charging stations across the UK.
If the trends in our climate awareness are anything to go off of, then green registration plates should begin to provide you with the benefits you seek soon!