A government proposal to give ultra-low emissions vehicles (ULEV) green number plates is little more than a spot of window dressing. Or bumper dressing, if you want to be pedantic.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling suggests the plates would serve as a “badge of honour” that could inspire take-up of ULEVs. That seems optimistic – I doubt the prospect of having a special number plate will make anyone more inclined to go and buy an electric car.
What will inspire take-up of ULEVs are things like lower costs, tax incentives and the continued development of charging infrastructure, all of which are a lot harder to resolve (and more expensive to sort) than designing a new number plate.
But while the government might be better focused on those areas, the idea of green plates isn't without merit.
The ability to differentiate ULEVs from combustion-engined cars could aid in the easy enforcement of low-emissions zones, EV-only parking bays and so on. Combustion-engined cars parked in EV charging bays are a fairly regular sight and, if you’re trying to charge your electric car, can be hugely frustrating. As with disabled blue badges, green number plates would make it much easier to spot cars that should be able to park in such bays, and might dissuade drivers of petrol and diesel cars from trying to park there.
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Peter Cavellini
More aware.....?
Not much advertisement for Ev’s?, surely some read the adds online?, there’s good old fashioned reading about them in Mags where you get an honest appraisal of them, there’s adds in papers too,infact, there’s adds for things to with Cars virtually everywhere you go!, no, the blame lays fairly and squarely with some of the Public who see Cars as just “White goods” , a Car that gets you from A to B , doesn’t matter what it looks like sounds like their not particularly bothered about what powers it, they just want transport, so I’m not surprised about Ev culture or lack of, sticking a Green Plate on it isn’t going to persuade People to rush out and buy one.....
Peter Cavellini.
WallMeerkat
In eco-conscious places like
In eco-conscious places like London I could see it being a badge of honour.
In the rest of the UK, maybe not so. It may become a target for agressive driving, similar to how L plate learner drivers or P/R new driver plate drivers are treated, if it is assumed that the driver is going to be slow.
artill
I dont mean this as an insult
I dont mean this as an insult to blue bage users, but it sounds as if the green plate is not going to signify a disabled driver, but instead a disabled car?
oop north
@artill
Whether or not it’s offensive to disabled people, your comment is extraordinarily ignorant. And that’s the politest I can make my response
405line
Signs of progress
My 2001 petrol is already fully ULEZ compliant so I don't really care that much, I think I could retro-fit some green plates. Must say that I'm quite glad that diesel is being "outlawed" which I feel is the principle driver behind all of this "renewed vigour" regarding emissions especially in the city. I thought the term seeing "green plates as a sign progress" was a bit comical as I checked a nearby 2012 Audi diesel and that is not ULEZ compliant.
Mondeal
ULEZ compliant does not make
ULEZ compliant does not make a car a ULEV. It just means you do not have to pay an increased fee above the standard congestion charge. A ULEV car is currently exempt from the congestion charge, however that is looking to be tightened up in 3 years time.
Would you then have a walk of shame and have to give your green plates back?
AndyT
Green number plates sound
Green number plates sound horrific. That’s one more reason never to consider one.
simonpw7
Green plate?
Thekrankis
Having recently researched buying a new electric car....
....I can honestly say that a green numberplate is utterly irrelevant.
I test drove a few, I liked the Kia Soul but it’s over priced for its poor range. The Leaf was OK, The Zoe too small.....and it’s an unreliable Renault, The BMW lovely but way too expensive.
The single biggest deterrent was the useless infrastructure. Having the use of a Leaf for a week running around Dorset I was dismayed by how many of the few local charging stations were out of order.
Once you look closely at depreciation and battery life an electric car simply did not make sense.
My wife drives a Citigo which is cheap as chips and pleasant to drive - so I did what any sensible ( I am almost a pensioner) oldie would do and bought a new Honda Jazz.
I do have my 71 Mini Cooper for when my old bones can face a bumpy spin around back lanes.....
Maybe in another 10 years an electric car will make economic sense and the infrastructure will be good enough for me to buy as my last new car before I end up pushing up daisies?
Will86
Waste of time
Spend the money on infrastructure to make owning an EV more practical rather than what is little more than a vanity project. And really, EV parking bays should only be used if your car is charging. So if the car is not plugged it should get a ticket.
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