Green variety plates ‘could boost sales of electrical cars’ in Britain


Electric and different ultra-low emission cars, vans and taxis may be given special inexperienced variety plates to spice up awareness and increase the employment of environmentally “clean” driving.

Green plates area unit already employed in Norway, North American nation and China on inexperienced vehicles as well as electrical and gas cars, creating them each distinct and visual to different road others.

The plans area unit contained in an exceedingly government consultation proclaimed on Sunday that seeks views on the look of inexperienced plates, and opinions on that cars and different vehicles they might be fitted on.

The consultation comes as prime minister nun could prepares to handle the primary ever zero-emission vehicle summit in Birmingham and Buckinghamshire on, which is able to collect nations from across the world to pledge collective action towards zero-emission journeys.


Elisabeth Costa, director of the behavioral Insights Team, a “social-purpose company” part closely-held by the govt, said: “Simple changes supported behavioral science will have a giant impact. inexperienced plates would be additional noticeable to road users, and this exaggerated attraction will facilitate normalise the concept of unpolluted vehicles, lightness the ever-changing social norms around vehicle possession.”

Hybrids and electrical vehicles created up five.5% of the UK’s new automotive market within the initial six months of this year, compared with four.2% throughout an equivalent amount in 2017.

The government is looking for ways that to spice up the take-up of low emission cars each for environmental reasons and so as to develop the united kingdom as a rustic of emission innovation. In July transport secretary Chris Grayling proclaimed plans to introduce additional charging points for electrical vehicles across the country once reports that a shortage was holding back efforts to induce additional electrical vehicles on the roads.

A study for the RAC Foundation found the mass-market attractiveness of ultra-low emission vehicles could also be restricted while not widespread, reliable and easy-to-use charging points. Separate AA analysis showed eight out of ten drivers see the dearth of charging points as a obstacle to them shopping for an electrical vehicle.


Announcing the new consultation, Grayling aforementioned the united kingdom was already at the forefront of innovation and also the testing of unpolluted vehicle technology. “This new cleaner, greener transport has the potential to bring with it cleaner air, an improved surroundings and stronger economies for countries round the world,” he said.

“Adding a inexperienced badge of honour to those new clean vehicles could be a sensible approach of serving to increase awareness of their growing quality within the United Kingdom, and would possibly simply encourage folks to accept however one may match into their own travel routine.”

A representative for the Environmental Transport Association said: “While inexperienced variety plates are going to be positive PR for low-emission automotive manufacturers and early adopters of the technology alike, to be really effective any such initiative can got to at an equivalent time shame the drivers of the foremost polluting vehicles; an electrical or hydrogen-powered vehicle would possibly sport a inexperienced plate, however the most important gas guzzlers ought to have theirs branded red.

“Some French cities have already adopted AN emissions-based vignette window sticker theme employing a vary of six colors that recognises the very fact that it's clumsy to easily whole one category of car as being ‘clean’.”


Last month 2 London councils proclaimed plans to ban most the cleanest vehicles from some areas at peak times to assist tackle the city’s air-pollution crisis. within the UK’s initial theme of its kind, solely ultra-low emission vehicles like electrical cars, e-bikes, and also the newest hybrids and gas vehicles are going to be allowed on 9 streets in Hackney and Islington from 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays.