What Does the Difference Between Su E and Su U Mean?
3 Answers
Su E and Su U have no difference; both are license plates from Suzhou. Initially, Su E was used, but as the number of Su E plates became insufficient, Su U began to be issued. Both Su E and Su U plates indicate that the vehicle's registration was processed at the Suzhou Vehicle Management Office, signifying that the vehicle is registered in Suzhou. The license plate codes for various cities in Jiangsu Province are as follows: Su A is Nanjing, Su B is Wuxi, Su C is Xuzhou, Su D is Changzhou, Su E is Suzhou, Su F is Nantong, Su G is Lianyungang, Su H is Huai'an, Su J is Yancheng, Su K is Yangzhou, Su L is Zhenjiang, Su M is Taizhou, and Su N is Suqian. A license plate number is an identifier for a vehicle, much like an ID number is to a person.
I've lived in Suzhou for several years. Initially, the entire city only had license plates starting with 'SuE,' but as the number of cars increased, the vehicle management resources became insufficient, so they introduced 'SuU' for Suzhou vehicles. This means 'SuU' and 'SuE' are essentially the same, both managed by Suzhou, just allocated at different times. I remember my neighbor bought a car last year and got a 'SuU' plate during registration. When he asked about it, the staff explained it was a new series to better manage the growing number of vehicles. On the road, 'SuE' and 'SuU' are subject to the same traffic rules, and police checks don’t differentiate between them. I think this change is quite normal—cities expand, and license plates must adapt to meet demand. Overall, the difference is just a letter symbol, with no impact on vehicle operations or registration, reflecting how local vehicle management flexibly responds to growth.
Last year when I got license plates for my new car, I was assigned a Su U plate. After waiting in line at the DMV for half a day, the staff explained that Su U is a newly added code for Suzhou, just like Su E, representing local vehicles. This means it's simply a numbering expansion to alleviate the shortage of Su E resources. During registration, car owners are randomly assigned either E or U, with no difference in privileges or restrictions. Driving to and from work, I see both Su E and U plates on the road, with identical traffic restriction policies. The DMV staff mentioned it's purely for efficiency to avoid delays in plate issuance. Personally, I think it's fine—the letter changed but the essence remains the same, and all traffic rules still apply. In short, Su U is a supplementary option that doesn't affect any travel convenience.
