In daily Chinese life, 电动车 usually refers to small electric scooters/bikes (e-bikes), not Tesla-style cars. For electric cars specifically, people say 电动汽车 or use brand names like 比亚迪 (BYD).
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China has by far the world's largest e-bike market. There are over 300 million electric scooters on Chinese roads. They're the primary commuting vehicle in many cities.