Is ETC tied to the license plate or the vehicle?
2 Answers
Due to the 'one vehicle, one card, one tag' principle of ETC application, a license plate number can only correspond to one set of ETC onboard equipment. Therefore, license plates that have already been registered and issued with ETC in the system cannot apply again, as the ETC card follows the one vehicle, one card, one tag rule. Relevant information about ETC is as follows: 1. Introduction: ETC is an electronic toll collection system for highways or bridges that enables automatic payment without stopping. 2. Working Principle: The working principle of ETC involves dedicated short-range communication between the onboard ETC electronic tag installed on the vehicle and the ETC microwave antenna on the toll station lane. It utilizes computer networking technology to perform background settlement processing with banks, achieving the goal of vehicles passing through highway or bridge toll stations without stopping to pay the fees.
Having worked in the automotive industry for so many years, I can say that the ETC system is primarily linked to license plates rather than just the vehicle itself. When you install an ETC device in your car, it gets bound to your license plate number, effectively giving your car an 'electronic ID.' Toll stations charge by recognizing either the license plate or the device signal. If you change cars but continue using the same ETC device, you can simply transfer the device to the new car, but you must visit a service outlet to update the license plate binding information. If you get a new license plate, you'll need to reapply for a whole new ETC setup—you can't just reuse the old one. Some people assume the device is tied to the car, but in reality, a mismatched license plate can lead to billing errors or even false accusations of toll evasion. While ETC is incredibly convenient for everyday use, saving you the hassle of queuing to pay in cash, don’t cut corners when changing vehicles. A quick trip to the service center beforehand can prevent disputes down the line. Overall, the system is well-designed to promote efficient highway travel.
