New energy "Maserati" costs 26000 yuan, while "Big G Off road" costs only 30000 yuan! How to solve the problem behind the popularity of "old man music"? The new energy 'Maserati' only costs 26000 yuan, the 'Big G Off road' with five doors and five seats only costs more than 30000 yuan, and the 'Cayenne' that can be used for both fuel and electricity without a driver's license... According to research conducted by reporters, low-speed four-wheel electric vehicles (commonly known as' Old Man Le ') that used to meet the commuting needs of middle-aged and elderly people have begun to bundle the labels of' luxury cars' and 'low prices', and quickly occupied the sinking markets such as rural streets and urban suburbs. The "Old Man Le" without a license or a driver's license is getting bigger and bigger. They roam freely on the streets of villages and towns, becoming the "new killers of the road" in the eyes of many people. Looking at cars from a distance and up close, searching for "Old Man Le" on some e-commerce platforms reveals that large "Old Man Le" vehicles with the slogan "No driver's license required" are very popular. These "Old Man Le" cars, priced at tens of thousands of yuan, not only have a body length of over 4 meters and four doors and five seats, but also come equipped with a 7000 watt motor and a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour. A merchant told reporters that the old man Le can obtain an insurance license plate and receive a car insurance with a coverage of 300000 yuan as a gift, but "whether it can be on the road or not will be checked by the traffic police, depending on local management". In some areas, these large "Old Man Le" vehicles can already be seen everywhere. In the central street of a township in Qinghai, the reporter saw that there were more than 10 large "Old Man Le" parked on a road of several hundred meters. Some people drove "Old Man Le" freely among various vehicles, and one of the four seater cars even "stuffed" six passengers, including two children. Multiple surrounding residents have reported that these elderly people look like small cars from a distance but have no license plates up close, and the majority of drivers are middle-aged and elderly people. Due to the lack of a license plate, it is common for "Old Man Le" to violate regulations such as running red lights, going against the traffic, and crossing the road, which has become commonplace for some people. There are still many vehicles driving around primary schools to pick up and drop off students, which inevitably poses significant safety hazards. What is the "Old Man Le" car? "Old Man Le" is a low-speed electric vehicle that is neither a motor vehicle nor a non motor vehicle, and has long been outside of supervision. These types of vehicles generally have no license plates, no insurance, and no unified production standards. The body is mostly made of thin iron sheet splicing, lacking basic safety configurations such as anti-collision steel beams and airbags. What is even more worrying is that most of the drivers of "Old Man Le" are elderly people who have not received formal driving training, do not understand or even ignore traffic rules, and behaviors such as running red lights, going in the wrong direction, and changing lanes at will are not uncommon. Once an accident occurs, victims often face the dilemma of having no way to protect their rights. In the past two years, traffic accidents caused by "Old Man Le" have occurred frequently. Recently, a traffic accident occurred in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province. A 59 year old man drove an unlicensed electric four wheeled vehicle (commonly known as "Old Man Le") and knocked down a woman crossing the road while drunk, resulting in her death. On December 31st, Cover News learned from the victim's family that they plan to file a lawsuit against the perpetrator. At the same time, the family members also believe that traffic accidents often occur at the scene, but there are no effective traffic signals installed or warning signs. "We have also decided to sue the local traffic management department." Cover News also called the Chabei Management Committee, and the staff confirmed that the driver involved has been controlled by the police. The perpetrator was drunk driving, and at the time of the incident, he hit and ran. Later, he surrendered and was brought to justice. Currently, the perpetrator has been brought under control, and the case is being further investigated and handled by the public security organs. This case has once again sparked the call for the "Old Man Le" to be regulated and managed. In the view of Lu Yong, a research expert in the low-speed electric vehicle industry, in order to pursue low prices and sales, some low-speed electric vehicle manufacturers are now following their own product standards and shapes, with sizes and shapes increasingly approaching those of automobiles. Why can such vehicles be produced in compliance with regulations? Zhang Ge, a lawyer from Beijing Yingke (Chengdu) Law Firm, explained that this is because the manufacturer did not declare compliant passenger cars during manufacturing, but rather factory commuting vehicles. This type of car can only be driven in enclosed areas such as scenic spots, parks, and factories, and cannot be driven on public roads. It is also illegal for manufacturers to advertise that they do not need to register, obtain a driver's license, or purchase insurance, and can directly drive on the road. However, when promoting sales, merchants often emphasize and highlight factors such as the performance, space, and appearance of the vehicle, blurring the fact that the vehicle is a "factory commuter car", causing consumers to mistakenly believe that it is a regular passenger car that can be driven on the road. Once safety issues such as traffic accidents occur, the responsibility is mostly borne by the driver. The confusion over the definition of the identity of "Old Man Le" has posed many difficulties for relevant departments in the regulatory process. Guo Tingzhao said that the traffic management department lacks clear legal basis for punishing the illegal behavior of "Laolao Le" during law enforcement, making it difficult to effectively manage. Once a traffic accident involving the "Old Man Le" occurs, due to the unclear nature of its vehicle and incomplete insurance system, the handling of accidents and dispute resolution will be significantly more complex. The current traffic management of low-speed electric vehicles is either a 'one size fits all' approach or a 'laissez faire' approach. It is still difficult to determine what type of vehicle these vehicles are managed by, where they can be used, when they can be driven, and whether they require a driver's license. ”Lu Yong said. Yin Mingqin, a lawyer from Chongqing Lucheng Law Firm, believes that the traffic accidents caused by "Old Man Le" actually reflect the legal and social challenges brought about by the lagging governance of new transportation vehicles. It requires the joint action of legislative, judicial, and relevant industry regulatory departments to solve the problems of "Old Man Le" from the source. I hope to clarify the management classification standards as soon as possible. In Lu Yong's opinion, the contradiction between demand and governance behind "Laolaole" should not be "banned". This type of vehicle has a wide demand in the sinking market and has become the main mode of transportation for some elderly people in rural areas. It is relatively cheap, easy to drive, and can provide shelter from wind and rain, effectively meeting the travel needs of some people. In August 2025, the Low Speed Vehicle Special Committee of the China Association of Small and Medium sized Business Enterprises released industry group standards, covering terminology definitions, classification and component requirements, technical requirements, test methods, inspection rules, as well as labeling, on-board documents, packaging, transportation, and storage. These standards have a positive significance in strengthening self-discipline and standardization in the production process. In current legal practice, there is a tendency to treat the elderly man Le as a motor vehicle. ”Zhang Ge said that in recent years, there have been multiple judicial cases that have made it clear that although the "Old Man Le" is often sold or used under the name of "non motor vehicle", it is considered a motor vehicle in accident handling and judicial recognition, and is subject to relevant provisions such as the Road Traffic Safety Law and the Civil Code. To acknowledge the objectivity of the demand for low-speed vehicles, it is necessary to strengthen the top-level design of low-speed vehicle industry development and traffic governance at the national level, and to make clear, explicit, and implementable policy norms in product standards, driving standards, and low-speed vehicle road rights as soon as possible. ”Lu Yong said. Considering the safety hazards of "Old Man Le", in recent years, various regions have successively issued bans to prohibit "Old Man Le" from being driven on the road. As early as 2022, the Public Security Bureau of Luoyang City, Henan Province issued a notice stating that from January 1, 2024, electric (fuel) tricycles and low-speed electric four-wheel vehicles will be completely prohibited from driving on roads within urban built-up areas. The Beijing Municipal Traffic Management Bureau has also stipulated that from January 1, 2024, illegal electric three - and four-wheel vehicles are not allowed to drive on the road and are not allowed to park in public places. Behind the ban, 'Old Man Le' also represents the real travel needs of many groups. Recently, as the weather has turned colder, various regions have also begun to rectify the windshields of electric bicycles. The "Old Man Le" windbreak does pose a certain level of danger, but once it is banned, it will inevitably affect the real travel needs of some people. In the absence of effective public transportation coverage, the real travel needs of this group of people due to economic ability, age restrictions, personal preferences, and other factors are the target market for "Lao Lao Le". Under the reality of aging population and increasing local financial pressure, it is not very realistic to expect to expand the supply of public transportation. Therefore, relevant departments may consider adopting the opinions of some experts and scholars, leaving corresponding space for "old man happiness" in policies, neither banning it nor letting it go. China has entered an aging society and can also consider developing low-speed transportation tools that better meet the travel needs of the elderly and are safer. Establishing a balance between traffic safety and people's livelihood needs is the long-term solution. (New Society)