Romania's Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued the first green registration plate in the country. A car owner of a green car in Bucharest holds the first green plate.

“This is the first green registration plate. Why green? Because you too can make a difference! Choose to protect the environment!” said the Ministry in a Facebook post, on Monday.

“We remind you that from today, the 17,000 electric vehicles registered in Romania can benefit from green numbers. In the case of cars that have already been registered but that meet the criteria for ‘green numbers’, drivers will be able to exchange their old registration plate for a green one, on request, starting today.”

The joint order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Deputy Prime Minister, regulating the granting of green registration plates was published in the Official Journal at the end of April.

The idea was introduced in order to increase the visibility of eco-friendly vehicles and to encourage more and more road users to opt for such cars. Green registration plates will therefore be exclusively issued to zero CO2 emission vehicles, either electric ones or those fueled by hydrogen.

“Dedicated clean car registration plates will act as a green passport for this type of vehicle,” says Minister of the Environment Tzancos Barna. “By clearly and visibly identifying clean vehicles on the road, we are creating a framework for giving incentives to those who need them: be it free parking, access to low-emission zones, tax and fee reductions - local authorities, especially those in big cities, will have a very useful tool at their disposal.”

According to statistics gathered by the Driving Licence and Vehicle Registration Directorate, there were over 9.66 million vehicles registered in Romania, on December 31, 2021, of which 7.61 million were passenger cars.

Only 0.2% of all cars registered in Romania are zero-emission vehicles. However, more and more drivers are opting for “green” cars in Romania.

In the first five months of this year, the sales of electric cars in Romania went up four times compared with the same period of 2021, to over 5,000 units, according to data published by the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers (APIA).

According to the statistics, the top five best-selling 100% electric car models are Dacia Spring, Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Kona, Renault Zoe, and Volkswagen e-UP.

The top 5 plug-in models are the Ford Kuga, Mercedes Benz GLE, Hyundai Tucson, and Mercedes Benz GLC, followed by Renault Captur.

According to a tax consultancy and audit company’s study that was reported on by Observator News, most Romanians that have chosen to “go green” have done so mainly for the money-saving benefits.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of the survey’s participants said that they were attracted by the lower costs of fueling their car, while 40% said they were interested in receiving the state subsidies offered for the purchase of this type of vehicle. An additional 49% of participants said they were interested in environmental protection, and 47% of them had made the decision for their personal health.

Participants also noted a few downsides of owning a zero-emission car in Romania: 23% complained about poor public charging infrastructure, 16% said the cars offer limited range and autonomy, and 15% said the price of purchasing a “green” car is too high.

maia@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Dreamstime.com)