The way drivers pay tolls is about to change forever. A new upgrade in automotive technology will let your car handle toll payments by itself, without any need for plastic tags or toll-by-plate billing. This next-gen system, powered by built in cellular vehicle-to-everything tech, promises a future with smoother payments, fewer errors, and much better privacy.
Current toll systems rely on radio tags or scanning license plates, which are prone to errors, misreads, and even fraud. The latest tech standard, PC5 cellular tolling, uses your car’s built in modem to talk directly with roadside units through secure digital handshakes. No more contracts or phone plans needed, the car uses existing antennas to send payment data instantly, even in places where mobile coverage is spotty. Everything happens automatically, and drivers see confirmations right on the car’s display.
Unlike older setups that broadcast a permanent ID, cellular tolling gives each car a rotating set of digital certificates that hide the owner’s identity. These certificates are managed securely inside the car, making it nearly impossible to track or clone. Updates and revocations can be handled over the air, adding an extra layer of safety. This means automatic payments without exposing your information or worrying about hacking and billing mistakes—just seamless, stress-free toll road travel.
Started my career in Automotive Journalism in 2015. Even though I'm a pharmacist, hanging around cars all the time has created a passion for the automotive industry since day 1.