Electric cars come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them are rather small. As in really, really small. Smaller even than the already tiny MG Comet. Say hello to the Ark Zero, a super small, super light, and super affordable EV designed for urban mobility.

When we saw that it was apparently made by a British company and on the market for just £5,995 (or a mere P430,000), we got a little bit excited, as cheap electric mobility is exactly what we need to get everyone to use it.

A closer look, however, shows that all is not what it seems. Still, the idea of super small and super cheap electric vehicles is an interesting one, as this machine demonstrates.

On its glossy website, Ark Motors makes it sound like the Zero was designed and built entirely in-house. The firm talks about urban mobility, vegan leather, and its design philosophy in ways that make it sound totally legit. You really get the impression that this London-based outfit has managed to create something really cool.

A modern vehicle that trendy city dwellers could use to commute or go shopping in. The car itself stands a mere 2.50m long, 1.20m wide, and 1.62m tall, with enough space for “two adults and a dog,” according to Ark.

It’s a microcar with a claimed range of 80km and a top speed of 45km/h, made possible by a minuscule 3hp powertrain. Possibly meant to be a rival for the Citroen Ami or the Fiat Topolino, it also offers Bluetooth connectivity, a sunroof, and even a reversing camera.

Top that off with a claimed network of 300 service centers in the UK alone and lofty claims about self-driving abilities in the very near future, and you might be tempted to get your checkbook out—but not so fast! Something about the Zero seems weirdly familiar. Like we’ve seen this before somewhere.

Influenced by a feeling of déjà vu, we did some digging and found this: a microcar sold on Alibaba by a Chinese company called Qingdao Raysince Industrial. You have to agree it looks eerily similar to the Ark Zero, right? One could even think it’s the same car.

Surely, a trendy British startup wouldn’t try to pass off a cheap Chinese microcar as its own invention? That would be terrible. What isn’t terrible is the price if you buy this tiny car directly from the (seemingly) actual manufacturer: There, it’s on sale for just $2,700, or around P150,000.

That’s really little money for something that can move two people around, and (if you squint) can pass as an electric car. Now, who will be brave enough to order one and try it on the streets of Metro Manila? Anyone?