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Green number plate in India for electric vehicles (EV)

Team AckodriveJul 13, 2022

From fuel efficiency to low maintenance, there are many reasons to buy an electric vehicle. But the benefits are not limited to its usage. The Government of India also offers incentives for the owners of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to promote eco-friendly vehicles.

For easy identification of EVs on the road, the Indian government has introduced green number plates. A green number plate in India indicates that a vehicle runs purely on electric energy without emitting any toxic gases into the environment.

In this article, you will understand what a green number plate means for EVs and how you can apply for one.

What does a green number plate mean?

It is a specific type of car number plate containing a green background with numbers painted in white (for private vehicles) or yellow (for commercial vehicles) colour. This type of number plate is assigned to zero-emission vehicles. Having a green number plate means that you may get benefits such as preferential parking, reduction in toll taxes on highways, etc.

Which cars qualify for green number plates?

As proposed by the Government of India, the number plates for electric cars should be green. The government has requested all state transportation departments to ensure green number plates in electric vehicles across the country.

Both personal and commercial electric vehicles (EVs) need to have green number plates with a difference in font colours. All personal EVs qualify for a green plate with white font for letters and numerals. All commercial EVs qualify for green plates containing yellow font for letters and numerals.

Also, read: Best electric cars in India

How to apply for a green number plate in India?

The process for applying for a green number plate is pretty similar to applying for any other vehicle’s registration. You must ensure that all the vehicle documents are handy and provide accurate information to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in your area.

Documents required for electric car registration

Below are the documents you will need while registering an EV for a green number plate in India.

A copy of your identity proof (Voter ID, Adhaar Card, Pan Card, Driving Licence, etc.)
A copy of address proof (Adhaar Card, water/electric/telephone bill, Indian Passport, etc.)
Duly filled out application form for vehicle registration (Form CMV20)
Sales certificate of the electric car
A copy of active insurance for the vehicle
Temporary registration document provided by the vehicle dealer
A copy of Pan Card

Process of applying for EV registration

With all documents available, you can follow the steps mentioned below to apply for EV registration.

Visit your local RTO with all required documents and duly filled vehicle registration form. You can download the form via the Parivahan portal.
Once you submit all documents and any applicable fees, an official from the RTO office will conduct physical verification of the vehicle.

After the inspection, the authorities may take a few days to provide you with registration papers and a unique registration number for your electric vehicle.

Also, read: RTO New Vehicle Registration Process: Online Status, Renewal

Benefits of a green number plate in India

Green number plates are provided for non-emission vehicles along with various incentives and benefits. Some of the major benefits of green number plates include the following.

Exemption on road tax: The road tax amount at the time of registering an EV is waived off by the government.
Exemption on registration fee: The registration fee is also waived off for a new electric vehicle.
Preferential parking: Electric vehicles with green number plates receive preferential parking space in many parts of the country.
Reduced toll charges on highways: While driving across toll plazas on Indian highways, electric car owners may have to pay less than standard toll charges.

When was the green number plate introduced in India?

The government introduced the green number plate in India at the end of the year 2020. This new vehicle number system was implemented for existing and future electric vehicle owners.

Why were the green number plates launched?

The green colour number plate system is an effort by the government to encourage more people to buy EVs. These number plates make it easy to distinguish electric cars and help to avail the benefits and incentives that come along.

What are other vehicle number plates in India?

Apart from a green number plate in India, there are other kinds of registration plates given to different types of vehicles. Below is a list of different types of vehicle number plates in India.

White number plates: A white number plate is given to private vehicles only.
Yellow number plates: A yellow number plate is given to commercial vehicles.
Black number plates: Black number plates are usually provided for luxury hotel transport or commercial vehicles.
Red number plates: A red number plate is a temporary registration plate given to brand new vehicles.
Blue number plates: For vehicles reserved for foreign diplomats, a unique blue number plate is assigned by the respective authorities.

Electric vehicle number plates based on their validity

On the basis of validity, you can find the following kinds of EV number plates in India.

1. Temporary number plates

The temporary number plates are assigned to a vehicle for a short period of 1 month. It is given to newly-bought electric vehicles for the duration until the owner can get a permanent registration number from the RTO.

2. Permanent number plates

As mentioned in The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, all vehicles must obtain a permanent registration number from a local RTO. This unique number must be painted on a standard High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) and installed on the vehicle.

Thus, every electric vehicle gets a permanent and unique identification number. Each permanent registration number comes with a validity of 15 years.

Also, read: How to Get a Temporary Vehicle Registration Number?

Important rules regarding green number plates in India

As per The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every motor vehicle in the country must possess a valid registration and licence plate issued by an RTO.

In order to prevent fraudulent activities and remove any confusion, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has updated several rules around EV registration plates.

Initially, EV registration plates had a green bar at the bottom left-hand side to distinguish them from conventional petrol/diesel vehicles. However, there have been changes made over a period of time.

Based on the amendments, below are some of the important rules you should know about green number plates in India.

EV number plates must be green in the background with white/yellow font for numbers and letters.
The white font must be used for private EVs, while the yellow font is for commercial EVs only.

Frequently asked questions

Below are some of the commonly asked questions regarding green number plates.

What is the validity of electric vehicle registration?

Similar to petrol and diesel-powered vehicles, the registration number plates for electric cars come with a validity of 15 years.

Are green colour number plates compulsory?

Yes, the government has now made it mandatory for personal and commercial electric vehicles to have a green number plate in India.

Can a hybrid car use the green number plate?

The green number plates are assigned only to cars with zero emissions. Hence, electric cars qualify for such registration plates. However, hybrid cars run on a combination of electric and regular fuel energy. Hence, hybrid cars are not technically zero-emission vehicles, which is why you can’t use green number plates for them.

Why is it important to have green licence plates on EVs?

Green number plates are authorised registration plates for electric vehicles in India. It makes EVs easy to recognise, which helps to obtain several benefits and incentives like reduced toll charges, preferential parking in different parts of the country, etc.

Do I need to pay additional charges to get a green number plate?

Not at all. In fact, several standard charges such as registration fees and road tax are waived off during the registration of an electric vehicle.

Are green number plates available for new EVs only?

As per the government guidelines, both new and existing electric vehicles can get green number plates.

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