A large number of cars on the road now have a green strip on their number plates.
The vertical green band, to the left of the numbers and digits, shows the vehicle is electric and has become increasingly common since first introduced in December 2020. It is not a requirement to have one, but it was introduced to make it easier to identify to help local authorities when it comes to introducing incentives for the use of zero-emissions vehicles.
The former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps previously said the decision to print a green "flash" of number plates would help "show people that a greener transport future is within our grasp". The move proposed special incentives to make the switch to electric vehicles more appealing as the government looked to meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050.
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The benefits are likely to come in the future as a green number could help a vehicle access cheaper parking or entry into zero-emissions zones. It's understood the incentives have not materialised yet due to potential concerns of petrol and diesel cars fraudulently obtaining any benefits. However, the green band is not essential as ANPR cameras will be able to tell if a car is valid.
The green band varies in price but costs £18 per plate from Halfords. Drivers can prove they're valid for the plate with their V5 logbook and proof of ownership.
The government said: "As part of the government’s plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, drivers will be encouraged to make the switch to electric vehicles through the introduction of green number plates. The plates will make it easier for cars to be identified as zero emission vehicles, helping local authorities design and put in place new policies to incentivise people to own and drive them."
MP Rachel Maclean, Housing and Planning Minister and former parliamentary under-secretary in the Department of Transport said at the time: "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."
The UK has pledged to reach net zero for carbon emissions by 2050 with the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles banned from 2030. Recent figures released by Zap Map, an electric charging point app, found there are nearly 750,000 battery-electric cars on UK roads, plus a further 480,000 plug-in hybrids.
The Department of Transport previously announced plans to increase the number of public electric vehicle charge points in the UK to 300,000 by 2030.
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