VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

Vocabulary

kinked – åšę‰‹č„šēš„
i.e. The machines are kinked.

waive – cancel, reimburse, cover
i.e. The company can waive your parking fees.

clogged – can not get through
i.e. My toilet is clogged, send help.

nitrogen oxides – äø€ę°§åŒ–ę°®

diesel – ęŸ“ę²¹

fume – the smell
i.e. The fumes in the chemistry lab is poisonous.

spacious – has a lot of space
i.e. It is very spacious in this car.

Reading

We are all aware of the damagingĀ pollutionĀ thatā€™s created by drivingĀ petrolĀ andĀ dieselĀ vehicles. Many of the worldā€™s cities are clogged withĀ traffic, creatingĀ fumesĀ containing gases such asĀ nitrogen oxides. The solution for a cleaner, greener future could beĀ electric vehicles. But how optimistic should we be?

Homework

Read the article

There was much excitement last year when the UK government announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. But is that easier said than done? The road to global traffic being totally electric is still a long way off. Currently,Ā battery lifeĀ is an issue ā€“ a fully charged battery wonā€™t take you as far as a fullĀ tankĀ of petrol. There are also limited numbers ofĀ charging pointsĀ to plug an EV into.

Of course, technology is always improving. Some of the biggest tech companies, like Google and Tesla, are spending huge amounts of money developing electric cars. And most of the big car manufacturers are now making them too. Colin Herron, a consultant on low-carbon vehicle technology, told the BBC: ā€œThe big leap forward will come with solid state batteries, which will appear first in mobile phones and laptops before they progress to cars.ā€ These will charge more quickly and give cars a biggerĀ range.

Cost is another issue that may deter people switching toĀ electric power. But some countries offer incentives, such as cutting prices by reducing import taxes, and not charging forĀ road taxĀ andĀ parking. Some also provide exclusiveĀ lanesĀ for electric cars to be driven on, overtaking traditional cars which might be stuck inĀ jams. These kinds of measures have made Norway the country with the most electric cars per capita at more than thirty electric cars per 1000 inhabitants.

But Colin Herron warns that ā€˜electric motoringā€™ doesnā€™t mean aĀ zero-carbonĀ future. ā€œItā€™sĀ emission-freeĀ motoring, but the car has to be built, the battery has to be built, and the electricity does come from somewhere.ā€ Maybe itā€™s time to think about making fewer journeys or usingĀ public transport.