Environmentally-friendly vehicles could be awarded green number plates, signalling their virtue to other road users
Low emissions cars, vans and taxis could sport green number plates to highlight their environmentally friendly status, after the government launched a public consultation on the idea.
The Department for Transport (DfT) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) say the public consultation will “seek views on whether green plates could work in the UK, and if so, what they should look like”, with the “eye-catching” plates potentially arriving in “the next few years”.
While details of what standards cars would have to meet in order to get a green plate are yet to be ironed out, electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, and plug-in hybrids such as the Toyota Prius Plug-In are likely to be eligible for them. OLEV defines an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) as a car that emits up to 75 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide.
As well as sending an encouraging message out to other drivers, owners of qualifying cars could get free or discounted access to current or future low-emission zones.
Read more: Auto Express