Special green number plates could be introduced in the UK for electric cars, in a bid to make more drivers think about switching into cleaner vehicles.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has opened a consultation looking into the use of green plates, which would benefit from a number of incentives.
The plates would make electric cars, or those complying with the highest environmental standards, easy to identify. This could be particularly useful for local authorities when it comes to parking and also for vehicles entering low emission zones. There are also plans that vehicles with the green number plates would be able to use bus lanes.
Green number plates are already used in countries such as Norway, Canada and India, and research has shown that the plates help to encourage drivers to buy electric.
The Department for Transport hopes that the same could happen in the UK, though EV registrations are already increasing at an impressive rate, with a growing market share.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK is in the driving seat of global efforts to tackle vehicle emissions and climate change and improve air quality, but we want to accelerate our progress.
“Green number plates are a really positive and exciting way to help everyone recognise the increasing number of electric vehicles on our roads.
“By increasing awareness of these vehicles and the benefits they bring to their drivers and our environment, we will turbo-charge the zero-emission revolution.”
This latest measure is part of the government £1.5bn billion strategy to clean up Britain’s roads.
