What are the advantages of driving with a Hu C license plate outside of Shanghai?
2 Answers
Driving with a Hu C license plate outside of Shanghai is essentially the same as any other license plate and does not offer any particular advantages. If most of your driving is in the suburbs of Shanghai, a Hu C license plate would be a better choice. However, if you are unable to obtain a Shanghai license plate through the lottery system and primarily drive within the city, getting an out-of-town license plate would be more practical. The benefits of a Hu C license plate include: 1. Since it is a Shanghai plate, traffic violations can be handled directly in Shanghai by logging into the 12123 app on your phone for self-service processing; 2. It simplifies the annual inspection process, as out-of-town plates require returning to the vehicle's registered location for inspection; 3. If you later decide to switch to a Shanghai license plate, you won't need to go through the transfer procedures, making it more convenient and quicker compared to out-of-town plates.
As an ordinary office worker in Shanghai who frequently drives back to my hometown in another city on weekends, the biggest advantage of the Hu-C license plate is its cost-effectiveness and convenience. The license plate fee itself is cheaper than the urban plates, saving me thousands of yuan annually on insurance and maintenance costs, which is quite practical for a budget-conscious family like mine. When driving to other cities for travel or visiting relatives, I don’t have to worry about Shanghai’s traffic restrictions at all—I can freely drive on any highway or rural road without hindrance. Many cities outside Shanghai, such as Hangzhou or Nanjing, impose little to no restrictions on Hu-C plates, whereas local plates might be affected by odd-even traffic rules. This sense of freedom is even more pronounced when traveling with my family, as I don’t have to worry about fines or getting stuck in traffic delays. Overall, the Hu-C plate makes my life more economical and enjoyable outside Shanghai, and I highly recommend it to friends looking to save money.
