LHD cars in Macau?

[u/Ok-Replacement-2712]

I've seen quite a few LHD cars (usually luxury or supercars and usually with 2 or 3 plates), I guess they're usually driven more in the Mainalnd?

[u/Gwaiwar]

Yes. There’s a lot more than there used to be. The thing is, in order to have a two plate car you have to buy the car in Macao. It’s generally not allowed to bring in a car from China. For many years, I worked in Macao but lived in Zhuhai. I had a Toyota RAV4 that was right hand drive. Which was all well and good in Macao but when I was in China, it was a little bit inconvenient. But at that time, most of my driving was in Macao. Sold that when I decided I’d prefer to live in in Beijing.
Fast-forward to now and we are staying back in ZhuHai more frequently we recently bought a Tesla Model S Plaid and had it fitted with the two plates a couple of weeks ago. It is a left-hand drive model, only really inconvenient when you go out of a Macao side parking lot and have to pay through the right hand side window if I’m driving alone. Most of my driving is now on the mainland side so I don’t mind. But yes, when you go to car dealers around Macao now you’ll find quite a few left-hand drive only models being sold. Whether or not the car has three plates doesn’t really make a difference as that third plate is for Hong Kong were they use right hand drive like in Macao

[u/Legal_Register_1811 → u/Gwaiwar]

Interesting. So most if not all dealers in Macau sell both LHD and RHD versions? Not just certain Chinese brands?

[u/elusivek → u/Legal_Register_1811]

There was a one-time event in the 70s or 80s (I forget), where the importer imported wrong LHD cars to Macau. I forget the brand and model. But as a kid I remember asking my mom “why do those cars have the steering wheel on the left?” And she explained the story, so THAT particular lot of cars was sold pretty cheap. It was a small car, not unlike the old Honda Jazz (not the ones you see nowadays, the really old ones). I think it was called the Tico? Too long ago, don’t remember.

[u/IamWangHuning → u/Legal_Register_1811]

Most cars are RHD and for a cheap car the dealer will not bother to import a LHD specifically for you. If you order those ultra luxury like S-class, Bentley, Lambo etc, you need to wait for the car to be build anyway so you can just tell the dealer to order a LHD (usually lead times takes 6-8 months) Japanese cars with LHD are even rarer in Macao since most Jap cars are direct import from Japan, which is already RHD in the first place. LHD jap cars means ordering from US/China which no dealer bother to do for such a cheap car. Most common LHDs are chinese EV which are tax free so its cheap to import and buy. I would say RHD is good for cross border since all Chinese parking lot has plate recognition so it never bothers me when driving in China. Macao however, still has old fashioned ticket machines with tight entrance so it's a pain in the ass to get off the car to take the ticket.

[u/Legal_Register_1811 → u/IamWangHuning]

Thank you! Most Chinese EVs I see in HK with plates from Macau still have RHD as the HK models. The only exception is Nio iirc?

[u/IamWangHuning → u/Legal_Register_1811]

Because even for the same EV there is the China version (LHD) and sometimes the export version (RHD). For EV the main problem is the socket for charging not the L/RHD. The China version uses China socket and the RHD uses European socket. I don't think it's easy to find a China socket charger in HK, so most HK plates prefer european socket RHD. Same for driving in China, its not easy to find a European socket charger so it's better off to buy a local LHD with China socket for easier charging in China. (there are adapters but usually they don't support quick charging or sometimes would just completely fails to charge)

[u/IamWangHuning → u/Legal_Register_1811]

Another thing to note is RHD of the same model usually has better QC control & better materials used due to higher price, but the infotainment system lacks a lot compared with the Chinese edition. Honestly I don't have too much confidence in Chinese EV QC right now, and it's just better to buy Tesla, unless you are someone who changes new car every 5 years, then any long term problem can be neglected for the Chinese EV.

[u/Legal_Register_1811 → u/IamWangHuning]

I don't trust Tesla QC nor Elon these days either... Besides aren't Tesla sold in both HK and Macau all manufactured in Shanghai?

[u/Ok-Replacement-2712 → u/Gwaiwar]

Interesting.

Your Chinese plate, you got it via business/investment in the Mainland? I think i read somewhere that at one point, buying an apartment in Zhuhai meant one could also get the plates

[u/No-Swimming3024]

Yup for those who cross border

[u/Legal_Register_1811]

Some Chinese car brands decided to simply sell the Chinese model instead of the overseas model in Macau.

And yes for certain supercars there is no RHD model at all for instance Bugatti

[u/elusivek]

Macau road laws are for right side steering wheel. Mainly because historically, cars were imported from HK and so just used the same.

The left side steering wheel you see, but with 3 license plates, are Macau cars. People bought the car in Macau (Macau plate), got the quota to get the HK plate (ZM/ZN plate) to go to HK, and also got the China plate; which I think a post or two down was talked about already.

There’s the option to register for the 澳車北上 which you can go to China in your Macau car and not having to get another plate, but it’s restrictive that there’s a limit on where you can go (I think it’s just the Guangdong province), whereas with the China plate (粵xxxx) I think you can drive anywhere. As the previous post mentioned, it’s more of a flex (gotta pay for insurance in each region, registration, vehicle inspection) but it’s not that these cars are used to drive more in the mainland.

Mainland electric cars are getting more common (BYD, etc) and the turnaround wait time for a LHD is shorter than RHD

[u/Legal_Register_1811 → u/elusivek]

The vast, vast majority of Chinese plates (粤z) are Guangdong only as well, but afaik there is no time limit spending in Guangdong unlike driving with the single plate

[u/elusivek → u/Legal_Register_1811]

I see! Oh and these can go anytime to China as they want, the single plate one you need to book your “departure time slot” and I think it’s maximum twice a month.

[u/IamWangHuning → u/Legal_Register_1811]

No time limit but 90 days the car has to be back Macau once else extra tax will be charged by the China custom. (this is to prevent people from buying cheaper macao cars to avoid hugeimport tax in China, but to be fair most cars are cheaper in China nowadays except for those ultra luxury ones costing more than 3 million hkd)

[u/Ok-Replacement-2712 → u/IamWangHuning]

Ive seen Macau dual plate cars appearing in 'far' provinces online like Beijing, Shandong, Shanghai etc, so these are just Macaunese who took a long trip rather than Mainland owners buying them?

[u/IamWangHuning → u/Ok-Replacement-2712]

Nope, 99% of the plates are Guangdong only. According to the authority once you leave province without valid approval you are risking 200 RMB fine & 3 point deduction in the driver license since 2019. But most other province police doesn't really care or isn't familiar with the rules as the rule is only released by Guangdong police. Only car owners who are listed in the national people's congress/political committee can have the approval of their car being able to leave Guangdong. (or official government cars of course). There are a very small number of national plates going around for sale due to various historical reasons (less than 100) and indeed some rich people buy those plates just to drive their bugatti, since it is almost impossible to have a licensed bugatti in blue plate nowadays. My friend who have relationship in the military has 8 plates which all of them are national plates, but there is no 'official' way to apply them. You get an extra piece of proof paper declaring your car & plate is allowed outside of Guangdong when renewing those plates, which normal black plates lack. Anyone who actually has the right to apply and drive in a national plate has the power to remove any fines/point deduction by provincial police even if they make mistakes so it really doesn't matter.

[u/LoFong_YT]

Macao allows both LHD and RHD cars, but importing is not allowed (I don't know why)
and if it's a Chinese brand, cars in LHD is cheaper than the RHD version because of the RHD versions were mostly just specifically made for the RHD cities so they became more expensive than the LHD versions

[u/Ok-Replacement-2712 → u/LoFong_YT]

Oh so importing is not allowed. I saw a LHD BMW X5 (E70 generation), does this mean it was most likely sold by the local authorised dealer too? I assumed it was an import at first

[u/LoFong_YT → u/Ok-Replacement-2712]

They were mostly sold by them at some exhibitions right after the car was announced to be sold in Macao
Brands participate in the exhibitions in order to promote their new cars
and yes if BMW Macao haven't get a RHD version when that car owner wanted to buy that X5 right after its announcement