Green Number Plates – What You Need To Know
In an era of increasing environmental consciousness and a growing emphasis on sustainable transportation, electric cars are becoming more and more common on the roads, so green number plates have emerged as a symbol of progress and as a commitment to a cleaner, greener future.
The Symbolism of Green Number Plates
Introduced in 2020, Green number plates, sometimes referred to as ‘green tags’, ‘green strips’, or ‘e number plates’ illustrate that the vehicle sporting them is electric.
Their introduction in the UK and several other countries serves to symbolise a shift towards sustainable mobility and a reduced carbon footprint.
Green plates are an acknowledgment of the pivotal role electric vehicles play in curbing air pollution and addressing climate change, marking a clear distinction between EVs and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.
Benefits of Green Number Plates for Electric Car Owners
Whilst green plates incentivise people to switch to EVs, they also provide numerous financial benefits.
Zero-Emission/Clean Air Zones are becoming increasingly prominent across the UK. They have already been introduced in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Greater Manchester (under review), Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead). This is on top of London’s low or ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ).
Green number plates allow free entry into these areas, whereas drivers of petrol or diesel cars may have to pay a premium to pass through.
However, it’s worth noting that you don’t have to have a green number plate to potentially benefit from cost savings, as many systems use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to identify an electric vehicle.
Green registration plates could also allow EV owners to get cheaper parking and the use of bus lanes in some areas.
Whilst this is true in certain places within the UK, please note that the benefits of a green stripe will differ depending on your local region. Therefore, it’s important to check with your local council to see what benefits ‘e number plates’ could have for you.
Are Green Number Plates Compulsory For Electric Cars?
Green number plates are not compulsory for electric cars to have, so EV owners are not required in any way to use them on their vehicles if they do not wish.
These owners can still benefit from driving an electric car; Clean Air Zones, for example, use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. This means they would recognise cars as electric when reading their registrations, therefore excusing the need to pay to congestion charges – even if your number plate isn’t green.
What Vehicles Qualify For Green Number Plates?
Only zero-emission vehicles qualify for green numbers plates. This includes full electric cars, battery-electric cars, zero-emission vans, motorcycles or buses, and hydrogen fuel cell cars. If your vehicle is zero-emissions, you can retrofit green number plates.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids do not qualify, as there is no way for authorities to distinguish whether the vehicle is operating in a zero-emission mode. Additionally, low-emission petrol or diesel vehicles are also not eligible.
Will Green UK Number Plates Work Abroad?
Norway, Hungary, China and Canada all currently have green plate initiatives similar to that of the UK.
Despite this, it’s still not clear whether UK-registered cars will benefit from ‘e number plates’ on their foreign travels.
Build Your Own Green Number Plates
If you own an electric vehicle, head over to our plate builder now and design your own green number plates.
On the plate builder, you can select EV under the Badge section.
We offer various Green Badge options: 4D Printed; 4D Printed with UK Flag; 3D Gel; 3D Gel with UK Flag; Printed, and Printed with UK Flag.