China is working on regulations for low-speed electric vehicles, including possibly classifying them as motorcycles, according to Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei.
Electric vehicles that have a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour (43 miles per hour) are currently exempt from registration, which has spawned a class of cheap battery-powered cars popular in China’s rural areas and smaller towns and cities. Crash-testing and other safety standards also don’t apply to these mini vehicles.
