Hungarian gov't to seriously tighten green licence plate regulations
According to the explanatory memorandum to the draft government decree, the aim is to ensure that the green number plate benefits are only available to clean electric and zero-emission cars. This move reflects the government's intention to increase support for environmentally friendly means of transport and reduce emissions.
Under the planned changes, vehicles in with 5N and 5P classification would not be given green licence plates when first registered in Hungary as of 1 September this year, and the owners of such vehicles would be able to legally use their vehicles in traffic until 30 November 2026, beyond which date they must have regular licence plates.
Environmental classification of electric vehicles:
- 5E – pure electric vehicles;
- 5N – Extended-range, externally chargeable hybrid electric vehicles;
- 5P – externally chargeable hybrid electric vehicles (plug-in hybrid vehicles);
- 5Z – other zero-emission vehicles.
The tightening of regulation is likely to elicit mixed reactions from affected car owners and NGOs. While environmental groups are likely to welcome the move, car owners and hybrid car manufacturers may find it challenging to comply with the new regulation.
Key data on green licence plates
- A total of 22,651 vehicles were registered with green licence plates in Hungary in 2023, beating the previous year's record of almost 21,000 growth.
- Almost 61% of these vehicles were battery electric (BEVs), while 30.5% were hybrid electric (HEVs) and 7.7% plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
- By the end of May this year, the respective shares were 57.8%, 29.3% and 12.4%.
- At the end of May, there were nearly 29,000 HEVs and some 12,250 PHEVs registered in Hungary, i.e.
the changes - should they take effect today - would affect over 41,000 car owners or 42% of all green licence plate holders.
- By the end of the year, there were more than 88,000 vehicles registered with green licence plates in Hungary, which number grew to almost 99,000 by the end of May this year.
As previously reported by Pénzcentrum, János Lázár, Minister of Construction and Transport, has long been planning to introduce stricter rules for green number plates. He said in March this year that the government had not abandoned its multi-year plan to take away the green plates from hybrids, which would otherwise entitle them to free parking.
The plan is not to replace the number plates of those affected immediately, but at the latest at the next roadworthiness test - so free parking could still be among the benefits for some time, at least parking attendants are not expected to check the types of cars with green plates one by one.
In March, in response to a question on the restriction of hybrids, the ministry repled:
"The environmental performance of pure electric vehicles is far superior to that of other vehicles that are partly electric but also have an internal combustion engine, and it is therefore justified to review the maintaining of the same level of benefits for their operation.
"Social expectations are also pointing in this direction, as in many cases vehicles with a green number plate are being driven with a larger internal combustion engine than the average petrol or diesel car, and benefit from discounts similar to those of a pure electric car, which has zero emissions."
Cover photo: Getty Images
