Low emissions cars, vans and taxis could sport green number plates to highlight their environmentally friendly status, after the government launched a public consultation on the idea.
The Department for Transport (DfT) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) say the public consultation will “seek views on whether green plates could work in the UK, and if so, what they should look like”, with the “eye-catching” plates potentially arriving in “the next few years”.
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While details of what standards cars would have to meet in order to get a green plate are yet to be ironed out, electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, and plug-in hybrids such as the Toyota Prius Plug-In are likely to be eligible for them. OLEV defines an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) as a car that emits up to 75 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide.
As well as sending an encouraging message out to other drivers, owners of qualifying cars could get free or discounted access to current or future low-emission zones.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said green number plates would be a “badge of honour” for cleaner cars and their drivers, and he hoped they would “increase awareness of their growing popularity in the UK, and might just encourage people to think about how one could fit into their own travel routine.”
Similar schemes already exist in Norway, China and Canada. The number plates of Norwegian alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs) are prefixed with the letters ‘EL’, ‘EK’, ‘GA’ or ‘HY’, for example, signalling whether the are electrically powered, or run on liquefied petroleum gas or hydrogen.
Some cities in China, meanwhile, issue green plates to ‘new energy’ vehicles. Those living in Ontario who own plug-in hybrids, pure EVs or hydrogen cars get green plates; these allow their owners to drive in lanes designed for cars carrying multiple passengers, even when the cars are only carrying the driver.
The green plate proposals come ahead of the international Zero Emission vehicle Summit, which is taking place this week at locations including Millbrook Proving Ground.
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