Are green license plates exempt from traffic restrictions?
2 Answers
Green license plates are not subject to local traffic restrictions. Traffic restriction rules for green license plate new energy vehicles: In most cities or regions, new energy vehicles are not subject to traffic restrictions. New energy vehicles refer to vehicles with green new energy license plates. New energy vehicles that can use green license plates are pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Ordinary hybrid vehicles cannot use new energy license plates. Requirements for new energy vehicle license plate numbering: New energy vehicle license plate numbers have one additional digit compared to ordinary vehicle license plates. The number of digits in new energy vehicle license plate numbers has increased from 5 to 6, expanding the capacity of license plate numbers and enriching resources. The encoding rules are more scientific and reasonable, meeting the numbering requirements of "less use of letters and more use of numbers".
I've been driving a green-plate car for several years, and this is a great question! Green-plate vehicles are indeed exempt from traffic restrictions and odd-even license plate rules in most cities. This policy is designed to encourage people to switch to new energy vehicles, such as electric or hybrid cars. Living in Beijing, where weekdays are extremely congested, I find green-plate cars much more convenient as they can be driven every day regardless of the odd-even rule, unlike blue-plate vehicles. Other major cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou have similar policies, and you can also save significantly on parking fees and electricity costs. However, the policy isn't set in stone. Some smaller cities or tourist hotspots might impose temporary restrictions. For example, Hangzhou adjusted its rules during the G20 last year. I recommend checking your local traffic app or asking fellow green-plate car owners in community groups to confirm the latest regulations. Don't blindly trust online information—this way, you can fully enjoy the convenience of driving a green-plate car.