Translation from the original article written for “La Republica” by our director Eric Orlich, president of ASOMOVE.

You may have noticed that for some time now, cars with green license plates have been circulating, and especially in recent months, you’ve seen many more.

I’ve seen so many that I’ve started counting them, and out of every 100 cars that pass by, 1 to 3 have green plates.

Do you know what that green plate means?

Well, it means they are electric cars, but gastronomy is more than what’s on the plate, and a green plate means much more than just electric.

The green plate means that whoever is driving is saving a lot of money; a kilometer traveled in an electric car costs only one-fifth of what it costs to travel in a combustion car. Recently, an electrician told me, “Before, I used to spend 200,000 colones a month on gasoline visiting clients. I switched to an electric car, and now I only spend an extra 30,000 colones on the electricity bill.”

Furthermore, the green plate means that the car you’re seeing is not emitting smoke, not polluting the air we breathe, nor emitting gases that contribute to global warming. Hopefully, one day all the cars in the world will have green plates, so we can breathe easy.

But that’s not all; a vehicle with a green plate also means that those inside or nearby are more comfortable because the electric car doesn’t vibrate or make noise. In the country, there are some electric buses circulating as a trial, and a driver commented that her children would say, “Mom, how you’ve changed! You don’t come home as tired and stressed anymore.”

Moreover, that green plate indicates that those cars need less maintenance; they don’t require tune-ups or oil changes, and they brake with motor compression, making braking smoother and not wearing out the brake pads as much. I have a green plate car that’s 10 years old, and maintenance has only been check-ups and some tire changes before going for the Vehicle Technical Inspection (RTV).

But there’s more; something very important: the green plate means that the driver of that car can circulate every day without restrictions in San José because, as a reward for not polluting, electric cars have no vehicular restriction. Fear of traffic jams is over, at least for that reason.

Finally, the green plate means that the vehicle uses electric energy produced in Costa Rica from renewable sources such as water, wind, and sun, and not from imported and polluting oil.

In summary, that green plate we see means that the vehicle is electric, saves a lot of money, emits no smoke, is more comfortable, requires less maintenance, has no circulation restrictions, and uses renewable energy.

And now, with advances in technology and tax exemptions, you can find a green plate car that costs the same as one of those old white plate combustion cars.

So if you’re thinking of changing your car, especially now that Expomóvil is coming, do something good for the planet, for yourself, and for others; decide and drive a green plate car.