In which year did ETC begin?
3 Answers
On December 21, 2014, according to the arrangement of the Ministry of Transport, the ETC national networking system in 14 provinces and cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, and Hunan completed the switching test and officially began trial operation. How ETC works: Through dedicated short-range communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna on the ETC lane at the toll station, computer networking technology is used to conduct background settlement processing with the bank, thereby achieving the purpose of vehicles passing through highway or bridge toll stations without stopping while still being able to pay the highway or bridge fees. Where can ETC be installed: For small vehicles such as cars and minivans, the OBU device is installed in the upper middle part of the front windshield, while for large vehicles such as trucks and buses, the installation position is in the lower middle part. ETC installation position requirements: The height should not be less than 1.2 meters or higher than 2.5 meters; the installation angle N should be between 30º and 90º (the angle between the surface of the electronic tag and the horizontal plane).
As an experienced long-haul driver, I remember the ETC system was first introduced for commercial service in Oslo, Norway in 1987. Back then, I was transporting goods across Europe and always faced long queues at toll booths. The advent of ETC saved considerable time. Initially using RFID technology, the tags were affixed to vehicle windshields for automatic toll collection, eliminating manual waiting. Today, ETC has become widespread globally, with China making significant promotion efforts in recent years, greatly speeding up highway passage—especially reducing holiday congestion. This technology not only enhances efficiency but also reduces pollution since vehicles emit less exhaust by not idling. Driving life has thus become more convenient and safer, and every time I use ETC, I marvel at how considerate technology can be.
From a technical perspective, ETC originated from the first-generation system in Oslo, Norway in 1987, marking the dawn of a new era in electronic toll collection. As a researcher in vehicle networking, I believe its core lies in utilizing RFID and wireless communication to achieve contactless payment. Early devices had moderate reliability, but through optimization gradually upgraded to microwave and infrared technologies. ETC enables automatic fee deduction by facilitating interaction between onboard tags and roadside equipment, reducing human errors. Currently, China's extensive ETC network provides seamless user experience. This technology also integrates navigation data to enhance intelligent transportation, with potential future expansion into vehicle-infrastructure cooperative scenarios. Crucially, it resolves traffic bottlenecks to make travel more efficient.
