What does ETC stand for?
4 Answers
ETC is the abbreviation for Electronic-Toll-Collection, which translates to "electronic non-stop toll collection" (electronic toll collection) in Chinese. It is an automatic toll collection system for highways or bridges. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and tolls can only be paid through manual channels. During free holiday periods, vehicles can still use the highway. For users who have installed ETC, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC toll deduction principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, computer networking technology is used to settle accounts with the bank in the background. This achieves the purpose of vehicles not needing to stop at toll stations to pay tolls, all based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of installing ETC: Save time: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and eco-friendly: Low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions, and minimizing pollution; Reduce wear and tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, and lowers wear and fuel consumption; Improve efficiency: The efficiency of passing through ETC lanes can theoretically increase by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC updates faster and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key urban clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also set a target in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC passenger vehicle usage rate, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore deep integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide car owners with comprehensive travel services, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC applications. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a vehicle in front that has stopped, to prevent the ETC device of the front vehicle from malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the front vehicle to avoid automatic sensing and toll payment for the front vehicle. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, which will also lead to toll deduction failure. Unauthorized disassembly or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the highway service office for testing. If the loosening or detachment is not due to human factors, it only needs to be reactivated. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause toll deduction failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to go to the manual MTC lane and use cash or card payment to pass. Thick car windshields may cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those who have modified their front windshields.
ETC stands for Electronic Toll Collection. I used to always see this sign at highway toll stations, and later learned that installing a device in the car allows for automatic fee deduction without stopping to pay in cash. The working principle is simple: the onboard tag and the toll station antenna communicate via microwave to complete identification and payment. It's recommended to install ETC as soon as you get a new car. Now that it's nationwide, cross-province travel is especially convenient. The device can be obtained for free from banks, just by linking it to a credit card. The most noticeable benefit is that passing through toll stations is much faster, especially during holidays with long queues—using the ETC lane can save half an hour.
ETC stands for Electronic Toll Collection, known in Chinese as the electronic toll collection system. Before installing ETC last year, I specifically researched it. This system consists of three core components: the OBU (On-Board Unit) mounted on the windshield, the RSU (Roadside Unit) at toll stations, and the backend settlement system. In practical use, it's incredibly convenient—the lane barrier automatically lifts upon sensing the vehicle. Initially, I was always concerned about recognition sensitivity, but after using it for over half a year, I found the recognition rate exceeds 99%. Nowadays, banks are even promoting ETC credit cards, offering discounts on highway tolls. The only thing to note is that metal films on the front windshield might interfere with the signal, so remember to avoid the black grid area during installation.
The abbreviation ETC stands for Electronics Toll Collection. Literally, it explains its function—collecting tolls electronically. What I appreciate the most is the time saved. Previously, you had to stop at toll booths and fumble for change, but now you can pass through at 20 km/h. The device is installed behind the rearview mirror in the car and charges via solar power, so no wiring is needed. Once, when my account balance was insufficient, the system automatically switched to deducting from the linked credit card. I recommend keeping a physical card in the car for emergencies—though 99% of the time it won’t be needed, it’s handy for manual swiping if the device malfunctions.
