Clean energy vehicles to have their own rego stamps from 2025

From January 1, 2025, the classification and identification of automobiles, especially hybrid and electric automobiles, will have significant changes to encourage people to use environmentally-friendly vehicles and enable travellers to choose a means of transport.

Article 9 of the Circular clearly states that, according to the type of energy used, motor vehicles, except trailers and semi-trailers, are classified as follows:

- Motor vehicles powered solely by gasoline or diesel engines.

- Environmentally-friendly motor vehicles which use energy or technology that helps reduce direct carbon emissions during operation compared to conventional motor vehicles specified in Clause 1 of this Article, such as vehicles using CNG fuel, light hybrid electric vehicles MHEV, fully hybrid electric vehicles FHEV or SHEV, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles PHEV.

- Motor vehicles running on clean energy, green energy, and environmentally-friendly which are motor vehicles that do not directly emit carbon during operation, such as Plug-in Electric Vehicles - PEV or Battery Electric Vehicles - BEV, Plug-in fuel cell electric vehicles PFCEV or fuel cell electric vehicles FCEV, and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Vehicles running on clean energy will have separate rego stamps

For identification, the circular stipulates that the inspection stamps of motor vehicles running on clean, green, and environmentally-friendly energy have a green background.

Details of the stamp can be found in the circular regulating the order and procedures for registration, exemption from first inspection, modification of motor vehicles and specialized motorbikes; and order and procedures for inspection of motorbike exhaust emissions.

The circular also notes that road vehicles which have been classified and identified in the notice of exemption from technical safety and environmental protection quality inspection or in the certificate of technical safety and environmental protection quality for imported motor vehicles; in the certificate of technical safety and environmental protection quality for manufactured and assembled motor vehicles; and in technical safety and environmental protection certificates for modified motor vehicles issued before the effective date of this Circular will continue to be used to carry out procedures for importing, manufacturing, assembling, modifying, registering and inspecting vehicles.

The issuance of Circular 53/2024 is an important step of the Government in encouraging the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles. With clear regulations on vehicle classification and identification, and the application of separate inspection stamps, it can be expected that more people will turn to hybrid and electric cars.