Drivers may have noticed a growing number of vehicles containing a unique registration plate that contains a little green flash at the side.
And it is expected that these registration plates will grow in the coming months and years amid a surge in the price of petrol and diesel vehicles.
The new plates are there to symbolise the cars that are completely zero emissions - as they power entirely off electricity.
While many of us are only just spotting them, they’ve actually been around in the UK since December 2020.
The UK Government announced the introduction of the green registration plates just months before.
What are the benefits of the plates?
The thinking behind the scheme was to easily identify zero emissions cars to others on the road - and there is a good reason for this.
In a statement issued on the announcement, the government said they would “help local authorities design and put in place new policies to incentivise people to own and drive them.”
Examples they provided included the likes of cheaper parking for drivers of fully electric vehicles and cost-free entry into zero-emission zones.
The plates themselves are also made of more sustainable materials than the ones we normal see on the roads.
Which cars are eligible for the plates?
Vehicles that are entirely free of any emissions are eligible for the registration plates - which includes new and used fully electric cars.
Owners of hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars miss out on the eligibility of the scheme as they are not entirely zero-emissions.
Why have they been introduced?
The UK Government is looking to put electric vehicles at the heart of its strategy for the country to reach net-zero by 2050.
In 2020, it was announced that new petrol and diesel cars will no longer be on sale in the UK by 2030.
The then-transport minister Rachel Maclean said in December 2020: “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 drives.
“It’s clear there has never been a better time to make the switch to a zero-emission vehicle.”
