According to analysts, it will be quite some time before a genuine rival to Tesla, the American electric vehicle market leader, emerges in China. “It’s too early to say if Chinese electric vehicle makers can challenge Tesla, I don’t even see their cars on the roads and don’t know their prices. I am skeptical about how many of them can survive and move onto mass production,” said Yale Zhang, Managing Director at consultancy Automotive Foresight. “They are keen to be labelled as Tesla challengers as they need brand awareness, but they can’t compare with Tesla in the fields of brand recognition or consumers craze, and that’s partly down to Elon Musk’s halo effect.” John Zeng, Managing Director of consultancy LMC Automotive, said even the best known Chinese electric vehicle makers, like BYD, are a long way off posing a serious threat to Tesla. Many of the Chinese electric car start-ups are currently only at the concept or prototype phase, aiming to draw investors’ attention and raise funds, Zeng said. “There is still a long way to go before any of them can mass produce their vehicles,” he added.