 LSVs, more commonly known as neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), were defined in 1998 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.500", which required safety features such as windshields and seat belts, but not doors or side walls.Since 1998 Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), the market leader in North America, has sold more than 50,000 GEM battery-electric vehicles worldwide .