FRANKFURT — For most of the last century the auto industry has been known more for shutdowns than start-ups. Brands like Saab, Pontiac and Plymouth disappeared and not much took their places.

But the advent of electric cars has provided a rare opportunity for new companies to challenge the automotive establishment.

Tesla has shown that it’s possible. Founded in 2003, the company is putting a scare into the likes of BMW and Mercedes by outselling some of their most popular models. A new crop of upstarts, mainly based in California and China, is trying to follow Tesla’s lead and take advantage of traditional car companies’ slowness to develop battery-powered vehicles.

The hurdles for these new car companies are lower than they have been in decades. Electric cars are easier to design and build than cars with internal combustion engines, because they have fewer moving parts.