Shot by Chen Huizhi. Edited by Chen Huizhi. Subtitles by Chen Huizhi.

Sun Zhuquan, 59, a Shanghai resident, becomes the first driving test taker for the new C6 driving license in the city on Tuesday.

Two motorists proved their skills at driving recreational vehicles (RVs) with trailers on Tuesday in the first driving tests given in Shanghai for the new C6 driving license.

There has been an steady interest in this new type of driving license in China which was introduced in April this year to allow its holders to drive certain types of RVs, precisely light towing trailers weighing up to 4,500 kilograms in total mass.

The C6 driving license is not an independent type of driving license, because applicants must already possess valid driving licenses, but all small passenger car drivers in China, with C1 or C2 licenses, can apply for it if they fulfill certain preconditions.

Applicants will need to have a written test for traffic rules and a practical driving test on their skills for backing, zig-zag driving and making right-angled turns.

At Dazhong Driving School in suburban Shanghai's Qingpu District, which became the first driving school in Shanghai approved by the authorities to offer training services for the C6 license last month, Sun Zhuquan, a seasoned motorist 59 years old, took his tests for the license on Tuesday, not really with ease.

Backing, he said, was the hardest part of the tests.

"I often struggle to control the direction of the trailer from the head car, even after 20 hours of training on this skill," Sun said, adding that zig-zag driving and making right-angled turns are much easier for him.

Sun, who is a zealous traveller, said he looks forward to driving an RV around with his family since he's retiring soon, but he's not considering buying an RV at the moment due to parking problems.

"If the pandemic situation allows, I hope to have an RV trip in Yunnan next year," he revealed, referring to the scenic southwest Chinese province.

Fang Yongxiang, 52, who is an experienced RV traveller, also took the tests at the driving school on Tuesday.

"The RV offers great convenience for travellers who enjoy quality bonding experiences in travelling with friends and families and great mobility since people can drive the head car around during daytime and sleep over in the trailer car at night," he said.

Before the C6 license was introduced, trailer-type RV drivers, who mostly only possessed C1 or C2 licenses, were subject to varied license rules in different localities, and the new license has cleaned up the ambiguities.

Zhang Jinsong, vice general manager of Dazhong Driving School, said about 100 people have come to the school to inquire after training program for the new license, and over 70 of them have embarked on the program.

"Most of the people who have enrolled in their training program for the new license are over 50 years old, and a few are over 60, who expect to travel extensively in retired life," he said.

"But the possibility of an alternative lifestyle is also attracting the younger generation to drive RVs around, such as a young couple being trained here who told us that they want to make the RV their home and have a travel-work life," he added.

At this driving school, training programs for the C6 license are more expensive than those for common C1 or C2 licenses. The charge for weekday training sessions is 6,800 yuan (US$1,008) for 30 classes and for weekend sessions 9,800 yuan, not including fees for simulated tests.

Carmakers have great expectations for the RV market in China as sales of such vehicles have risen sharply in recent years.

There were about 3,500 RV camping sites in China as of 2020, and the number of purchased RVs in the country surpassed 100,000 by the end of 2019.

Sun Zhuquan drives an RV for his driving tests on Tuesday.

Q&A for C6 driving license

Q: If I don't have a Chinese driving license, can I apply for a C6 license directly?

A: No. The applicants must possess C1 or C2 driving licenses, with under 12 points deducted in both current and the previous 12-month cycles.

Q: Do I have to take tests for the C6 license?

A: Only those who possessed A2 driving licenses for medium- and heavy-weight trailer trucks and have downgraded to lower-class licenses due to age or voluntarily can apply for a C6 license without taking a test.

Q: Is there an age restriction for the applicants?

A: Yes. The C6 driving license is available for applicants between 20 and 69 years old, but those aged 60 to 69 years will have to undergo additional tests on their driving capability.

Q: Can I continue to drive the types of vehicles designated to the C6 license after I turn 70?

A: No.

Q: Can I drive a non-trailer RV with the C6 license?

A: No, different driving licenses are required for driving different types of RVs in China.