Can an 8-seater minivan apply for ETC?

[SanBrooke]

An 8-seater minivan can apply for ETC, as the ETC application process is not related to the number of seats. The number of seats is related to the vehicle type, which affects toll charges on highways. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and vehicles without ETC will have to pay tolls manually. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on highways immediately; they must be activated first. During free holiday periods, ETC users can still use highways, and passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC Deduction Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with banks. This allows vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping, based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and eco-friendly: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions since vehicles do not need to stop at toll stations; Cost-saving: Reduces wear and tear, fuel consumption, and braking frequency, while users also enjoy a 5% discount on tolls; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "achieving interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC." It also sets a target of "50% ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles by 2020" in the main indicators of comprehensive transportation development during the "13th Five-Year Plan." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, future efforts will include promoting ETC for trucks and exploring deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC usage.