Highway Toll Standards for 8-Seater Vehicles?
2 Answers
8-seater vehicles will be charged as Class 1 vehicles. Below is the relevant introduction to toll standards for various types of vehicles: 1. A new category "Special Operation Vehicles" has been added to vehicle classifications: All toll vehicles are specifically classified into three major categories: passenger vehicles, trucks, and special operation vehicles. 2. The boundary between Class 1 and Class 2 passenger vehicles has been revised from 7 seats to 9 seats: Passenger vehicles with 9 seats or fewer will also be charged as Class 1 vehicles, directly reducing highway tolls by half. 3. The classification boundary between Class 1 and Class 2 trucks has been changed to vehicles with a length less than 6 meters and a maximum allowable total weight of 4.5 tons: This means some trucks previously classified as Class 2 will now be classified as Class 1, resulting in lower highway tolls. 4. All types of trucks will be classified based on the total number of axles, vehicle length, and maximum allowable total weight.
Last time I took my 8-seater business van on the highway for a trip from Beijing to Tianjin, I noticed the toll fees were significantly higher than for regular passenger cars. Generally, vehicles with 7 seats or fewer are classified as Category 1, with tolls around 0.4 yuan per kilometer, while 8-seaters fall into Category 2, where the rate jumps to about 0.56 yuan – almost 50% more expensive. This is mainly because vehicles with more seats can carry more people, so highway companies adjust prices based on vehicle type. For this 120-kilometer trip, I paid 68 yuan, which is 1.4 times more than what my friend paid for the same distance in a smaller car. Additional things to note: using an ETC card may give you a 5% discount in some areas, saving a few yuan; holiday free-toll policies only apply to vehicles with 7 seats or fewer, so 8-seaters don’t qualify. For long-distance trips, I recommend checking the toll estimate on map apps in advance to avoid last-minute confusion at the exit.
