The Chinese City Betting Everything on Tiny Cars

GUANGXI, South China — Electric cars didn’t change Liuzhou. They built it. Far from China’s megacities, this small, tier-3 city in southern China is better known for its famous “snail rice noodles” than cutting-edge technology.
​
Yet, on these narrow streets, compact four-seater EVs — most notably the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV — are everywhere. Priced at just over 30,000 yuan ($4,100), families depend on them, tourists rent them for quick trips, and even the police patrol silently in these pint-sized electric cars.