What is the difference between Su E and Su U license plates?
2 Answers
The difference between Su E and Su U license plates is: although both types of license plates belong to Suzhou, Su U plates are supplementary plates introduced because Su E plates were insufficient. The reason for the shortage of Su E plates is that many vehicles in the Shanghai area found it difficult to obtain Shanghai plates, so Su E plates were widely used in the early stages. Relevant information about license plates is as follows: 1. License plates, commonly known as car plates, are plates hung on the front and rear of vehicles, usually made of aluminum, iron, plastic, or paper, engraved with the vehicle's registration number, registration area, or other relevant information. 2. License plates serve as the numbering and information registration for vehicles. Their main function is to identify the vehicle's registered area through the plate and to trace the vehicle's owner and registration details based on the plate.
Actually, as a local car owner in Suzhou who has driven several vehicles, I know the difference between Su E and Su U quite well. Simply put, Su E is the traditional license plate prefix for Suzhou, used for many years; Su U was added after 2019 because Suzhou has too many cars and needs more number resources. Both belong to Suzhou and function exactly the same: they don’t affect driving, traffic restrictions, or insurance policies. The only difference is the prefix letter, which has no practical impact. When I drive in the city or on highways, seeing Su E or Su U is no issue—both are managed as Suzhou plates. This phenomenon is common in fast-developing cities; Beijing has similar additional prefixes. In short, don’t be confused by the letters—they’re all Suzhou license plates.
