EcoVelocity in London

EcoVelocity is an outdoor car show with a difference. This eco-conscious motor show celebrates all things green. High-performance vehicles at this year's EcoVelocity show in London prove that electric vehicles can look great and deliver blistering—and eco-friendly—speed and fuel efficiency.

Our reporter Li Dong has the details.

 If you look carefully at the backs of the cars at the show, you will notice there are no exhaust pipes. All of them are 100-percent electric—and emissions¹-free.

But despite their lack of a gas-powered engine, cars like this Nemesis² are actually faster than a Ferrari V12. These silent assassins are capable of eye-watering speeds that put their gas-guzzling cousins to shame on the road. The Nemesis can do 0 to 100 miles per hour in 8.5 seconds and has a top-speed of 170 miles per hour.

The green motor show is the first of its kind in the UK and serves as an antidote³ to some of the fuel-thirsty shows of the auto⁴ industry.

Giles Brown is Director of the EcoVelocity show,

"A lot of people say that green cars are dull and aren't entertaining to drive, [but] I've driven some of these cars and they're absolutely fantastic. Acceleration⁵ is phenomenal, top speed is amazing. They're completely different from any sort of normal car, but the experience is absolutely electric."

Graham Butterworth from the EV Cup is here promoting a new all-electric race car series. The EVCUP will begin at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca track in California at the end of November and move to Europe in 2012.

One of the biggest problems that race organizers face is compensating⁶ for the lack of noise. Some of the thrill of motor racing⁷ is the howling, high-revving engines, and sensor⁸ needles bouncing off the redline. Instead, the organizers of the EVCUP say they will play music and provide sound effects.

Butterworth says while the electric cars might lack in volume, they won't lack in performance.

"This car is pretty quick. It's just been on the track for the first time. I took it out the other day and within a couple of miles of going out in it, literally⁹ turning a wheel for the first time, I was doing 115 miles per hour no problem at all. And it's got tremendous acceleration. So, its acceleration to get there is very, very fast indeed."

While electric vehicle racing is still in its infancy¹⁰, promoting electric cars among the public is more practical for reducing emissions.

One prominent participant in the EcoVelocity show is London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Best known for cycling through the capital using pedal power, Johnson is keen to stamp his green credentials¹¹ on the capital ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

He says his main challenge is to change negative perceptions about electric vehicles.

"One of the difficulties about getting people to take up electric vehicles - and that is 'range anxiety.' People are anxious that when they get into an electric vehicle that their battery may conk out, and they'll be stranded¹². So, if you have charge points dotted around the city in the way that we're doing, we hope to defeat that anxiety and get people to take up electric vehicles."

Johnson claims London is the electric vehicle capital of Europe with some 2,000 to 3,000 registered electric cars.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

2 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

3 antidote   

n.解毒药，解毒剂

参考例句：

• There is no known antidote for this poison.这种毒药没有解药。
• Chinese physicians used it as an antidote for snake poison.中医师用它来解蛇毒。

4 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 acceleration   

n.加速，加速度

参考例句：

• All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
• He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

6 compensating   

补偿，补助，修正

参考例句：

• I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
• It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。

7 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

8 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

9 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

10 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

11 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

12 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。