Is ETC Nationwide in China?

[LaRhett]

ETC is nationwide in China and achieved nationwide networking as early as 2015. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC cannot enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and vehicles can only pay tolls through manual lanes. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on highways immediately; they need to be activated first. During holiday free-toll periods, ETC users can still use highways, and passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC Charging Principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's on-board electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with banks, allowing vehicles to pass toll stations without stopping. All this is 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: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by eliminating stops at toll stations; Cost-saving: Reduces vehicle wear and fuel consumption by minimizing frequent starts and stops. Users also enjoy a 5% discount on tolls; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems more advanced and efficient. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, key city clusters should achieve interoperability of transportation cards, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC should significantly increase." The plan also set a target of "50% ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles on roads by 2020." More future possibilities: Beyond 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 smart transportation developments like vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for car owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of over 10 meters to prevent accidental payment for the vehicle ahead due to faulty or missing ETC devices. The optimal speed for ETC lane recognition is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may result in failed readings and deductions. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or if the ETC electronic tag becomes loose or detached, may cause the tag to fail. In such cases, take it to the bank where the ETC card was issued or a highway service center for inspection. Non-deliberate loosening or detachment only requires reactivation. When using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance may cause deduction failures. Follow on-site staff guidance to use manual MTC lanes and pay via cash or card. Thick or modified windshields, especially those replaced after accidents, may cause poor signal reception.