In 2013 alone, Chinese consumers purchased over 200,000 low-speed EVs, almost four times Tesla’s cumulative production through 2014, from hundreds of small manufacturers. These sales are overlooked because they take place in small cities, far from the high-profile showrooms of Shanghai and Beijing, but the category is growing rapidly. Low-speed EVs typically sell for half what a comparable combustion-powered car would cost, and because they’re not considered “real” cars, they’re exempted from expensive licensing and registration fees.