Can an 8-seater minivan apply for ETC?

[Jenna]

An 8-seater minivan can apply for ETC, as the ETC application process is not related to the number of seats in the vehicle. The number of seats and the type of vehicle affect highway toll charges. 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, requiring vehicles to pay tolls manually. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on highways immediately; they must be activated first. During holiday free-toll periods, vehicles with ETC can still use highways, and passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges for users with activated ETC. ETC Billing Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Using dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's electronic tag (installed on the windshield) and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system connects with banking networks for backend settlement. This allows vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping to pay, operating on a "pass first, deduct later" principle. 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 don’t need to stop at toll stations; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and brakes, thereby lowering vehicle wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes theoretically increase traffic efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems faster, more advanced, and 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 Integrated 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 the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development plan. Future possibilities: Beyond improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, future initiatives will promote ETC adoption for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation developments like vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC usage.