Ontario to Introduce Green Licence Plates

Andrew Williams, Gas2.org, November 3rd, 2009

Canadian province Ontario is to introduce green-coloured licence plates, available only to drivers of plug-in hybrids and battery-powered electric vehicles.

Sounds like another gimmick? Well, here’s the deal - vehicles sporting the new green plates will be able to drive in the province’s dedicated carpool lanes until 2015, even if only one person is in the vehicle.

Speaking about the initiative, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said, “The McGuinty government’s plan is to have one out of every 20 passenger vehicles on Ontario’s roads an electric vehicle by 2020.”

The green plate will also enable drivers to use recharging stations at GO Transit and other provincially owned parking lots and allow special access to car parks at the University of Toronto, several Wal-Mart’s in the area, and at other private companies.

According to the Canadian Ministry of Transportation, the new plates will be available next year. This sounds like a good idea to me - people need as many incentives as they can get to shell out on a generally more expensive hybrid or EV right?

Image Credit - CBC

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Since the buyers of these vehicles are likely NOT your average commuter and not superabundant in number what do you think about making these tags free (either just the tag fee or free of ad valorem tax altogether) as an incentive to buy them