【轻松英文阅读】丰田新款能源车

 One of the hottest cars at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is not a car. In fact, Toyota’s i-ROAD concept vehicle could create a whole new category of vehicle.

 

Toyota wanted to create a vehicle with the usability of a motorbike, but safer and more comfortable. The i-Road achieves both. With its compact design, it is easy to maneuver¹ through congested streets and you will have no problem finding a parking space. As the i-Road is completely enclosed, you don’t have to worry about the weather like you do with a motorcycle. It also means you don’t have to wear a helmet.

 

The i-ROAD is a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) powered by two 2kW motors mounted in the front wheels. With its lithium-ion battery it has a range of 50 kilometers on a single charge from a regular household outlet².

 

Up until now, hybrid³ motorbike-cars have not been very popular with consumers. Personally, I think most of them look like something for delivering pizzas and I could never imagine myself driving one. But the i-ROAD has a cool factor that the others lack.

 

According to U.S. government statistics, over three quarters of Americans are driving alone in their cars that are made for four or more passengers. That’s a lot of wasted space, energy and resources. Hopefully, new kinds of vehicles like the i-ROAD can help bring more efficiency to our transportation system.

 

I know I’m excited about the i-ROAD. How about you?

1 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

2 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

3 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。