Electric cars can officially display special green number plates from today that could see owners benefit from cheaper parking, unrestricted access to low emission zones and permission to use bus lanes in the future.
Among the first EV owner to get their hands on one of the special plates is Transport Secretary Grant Shapps who visited a Halfords store in Welwyn Garden City on Friday (4 December) in his Tesla to have them fitted.
The plates, which can be purchased from autocentres across the country from today (8 December), are similar to standard white and yellow versions but with a vertical green stripe on the left side that can be identified by cameras at the roadside.
Grant’s green plates: The first green number plates will be fitted to new electric vehicles from today. Plates are similar to standard white and yellow versions but have vertical green stripe on left side that can be identified by cameras. Pictured: Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps (left) with an example of how the plate will look
From today, green number plates may be legally fitted on Zero Emission Vehicles throughout UK ��
Green number plates will help increase awareness of cleaner vehicles on our roads, demonstrating that a more environmentally friendly transport future is within our grasp. #ZEVs pic.twitter.com/tZ0OrxI8b3
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) December 8, 2020
This is Money revealed last week that the green plates for EVs are arriving from today.
The new number plates can be retro-fitted to any existing electric vehicles, including cars, vans, buses, HGVs, taxis and motorcycles – as long as they emit no CO2 emissions at the tailpipe.
The plates are optional, though owners could soon see a raft of benefits if they do display them.
As well as use of bus lanes and access to restricted roads, ministers are looking at whether parking spaces could be painted green to give priority to zero-emission vehicles.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrid cars are ineligible to display the plates, despite them being part battery powered.
Mr Shapps is already displaying one on his £40,000 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle that he’s owned since August last year, after reportedly waited two years for delivery, having placed his order for the pricey US EV back in 2017.
Owners of new and older electric cars who want to have one of the special plates on their zero-emission vehicles will need to take their logbook into stores issuing them to prove ownership and the eligibility of their vehicle.
These steps should help to mitigate misuse of the plates, with critics claiming that motorists could easily fit them to their petrol and diesel cars and therefore benefit from the incentives aimed only at zero-emissions car owners.
Mr Shapps had the plate fitted to his £40,000 Tesla Model 3 on Friday last week. He visited a Halfords store in Welwyn Garden City. The plate pictured is for photography purposes only
Shapps has owned the expensive Tesla electric vehicle since last August
In September, Mr Shapps used his Tesla Model 3 to officially open the UK’s largest EV charging hub at a rail station at Hatfield.
Halfords says the pair of plates cost £38.
Alternatively, you can have a front plate or back plate only for £19.
It adds that the plates can usually be fitted on site on the same day.
Commenting on the arrival of the plates today, Transport Minister, Rachel Maclean, said: ‘We are going further and faster than any other major economy to decarbonise transport, improving air quality in our towns and cities in the process and harnessing the power of clean, green technology to end the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.
‘Not only will green number plates raise awareness of the increasing number of cleaner vehicles on our roads, they could also unlock a number of incentives for drivers.
‘It’s clear there has never been a better time to make the switch to a zero-emission vehicle.’
From 8 December 2020, electric cars can officially display special green number plates that could see owners benefit from cheaper parking, unrestricted access to low emission zones and permission to use bus lanes in the future
The special plates are similar to standard white and yellow versions but with a vertical green stripe on the left side
The special plates with a green flash can be identified by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at the roadside
The arrival of the green places comes a day after the country’s first forecourt for electric vehicle charging opened in Braintree, Essex.
It is part of a £1billion plan for a nationwide network of charging stations as the Government pushes for greater uptake of zero-emission vehicles.
Green plates have been criticised by the pressure group FairFuelUK, which fears they could be used to ‘demonise’ petrol and diesel owners.
Ministers have promised to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and some – though not all – hybrids by 2035.
Although motoring groups have described the target as ambitious, the number of electric vehicles on Britain’s roads has increased dramatically, especially during the last 12 months.
According to the latest industry figures, they accounted for 9.1 per cent of new car sales last month. November also saw sales of plug-in hybrids eclipse diesel for the first time ever.
Gridserve on Monday opened the nation’s first electric-car charging forecourt, which has 36 devices to replenish the batteries of plug-in vehicles
The first charging forecourt located in Braintree in Essex is one of over 100 planned over the next 5 years as part of a £1billion investment into the UK’s EV infrastructure
The Prime Minister has promised to install thousands of charge points on Britain’s roads to make electric car ownership more convenient.
It comes after motor groups raised concerns over a lack of incentives for would-be drivers.
The cheapest electric vehicles are still more expensive that petrol and diesel equivalents, even with government grants taken into account.
On Monday, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) also warned that the after-sales sector is not yet prepared for a significant shift to EVs.
In an open letter from bosses yesterday, the body said that just one in 20 mechanics in the UK are qualified to work on vehicles powered by batteries and electric motors and more needed to be done to speed-up training for technicians in garages and dealerships.
However, long-term running costs are cheaper. Compare the Market also revealed this week that EV insurance premiums are – on average – £90 cheaper than for petrol and diesel cars.
The new number plates can be retro-fitted to any existing electric vehicles, including cars, vans, buses, HGVs, taxis and motorcycles – as long as they emit no CO2 emissions at the tailpipe
Hybrids and plug-in hybrid cars are ineligible to display the plates, despite them being part battery powered
Research by both the AA and Nissan found that motorists would be encouraged to buy an EV if they were able to display the green plates and be rewarded with driving benefits by doing so
Research by the AA suggests the new green number plates are enough to convince one in five drivers to buy an electric vehicle.
AA President Edmund King said: ‘Most people choose an EV because they are great to drive, better for the environment and have lower running costs.
‘However, almost one in five say the introduction of green number plates may influence them to switch to an EV so it is a move that we welcome.
‘To achieve government targets on zero emissions we need to encourage more drivers to switch and almost half of AA members say they will consider an EV when they next change their car.
‘I first drove an EV in 2001 and they have come on in leaps and bounds since then. Today I pleased to be one of the first to get a green plate on my EV.’
Separate research by Nissan – which produces the zero-emission electric Leaf at its Sunderland plant – suggests that the green plates would encourage a third of drivers to switch to a plug-in car.
YouGov surveyed 2,046 UK adults on behalf of the Japanese car maker and found that 32 per cent are more likely to buy an EV following the introduction of green number plates.
The poll also found that half (53 per cent) of Britons are oblivious of the financial benefits of EVs, though 81 per cent said they were aware of environmental benefits.
Worryingly, more than half (55 per cent) said they were not aware of plans for cities and towns to introduce low emission zones across the UK.
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