英闻天下——296 Infrastructure Needed to Boost Electric Car Market

 　　According to statistics, more than 27-thousand electric vehicles have been sold in the 25 cities around China that are conducting electric vehicle trials. Among the vehicles, 23-thousand are serving the public service sector¹, but only four-thousand four hundred have been bought by private owners.

 

　　Dong Yang, standing² deputy director of China Automobile³ Association, says:

 

　　"There are very rare cases of individuals buying electric cars. The central government provides subsidies⁴. But many local governments are reluctant to give the subsidy⁵ to companies outside their administration. Another reason for the problem is that the building of infrastructure⁶ support for electric vehicles such as charging piles is lagging."

 

　　Last May, the Chinese government issued policies to provide subsidies to individual electric car buyers—up to 50-thousand yuan for a hybrid⁷ car and 60-thousand for a pure electric car.

 

　　In 2012, the central government also allocated⁸ more than 4 billion yuan to support the research and development of new energy automobiles⁹, including engines, batteries and other key parts.

 

　　In Shanghai, a customer could save up to 120 thousand yuan buying a e-car, including government subsidy and free car plate. However, the number of privately¹⁰ owned electric cars is less than 1,000.

 

　　Yang Kai is a private car owner who once considered buying an electric vehicle.

 

　　"I counted. My expenses for the electric car would be about 12 yuan a week for recharging. If I use petrol, it's going to cost me about 300 yuan. I would save 1,000 yuan a month, or 12-thousand yuan a year, if I drove an electric car."

 

　　But Yang Kai adds that the cost of changing batteries and electric vehicle maintenance could be a big burden for individual buyers.

 

　　"I worry if the battery life expectancy¹¹ is only two to three years, and I need to spend another 20 to 30 thousand yuan to get a new one. In that case, I wouldn't buy an electric car and would just buy one that runs on petrol."

 

　　The lack of infrastructure to support hybrid and electric cars is another major problem which has curtailed¹² electric vehicle sales.

 

　　Yang Kai, for instance, says the property management company of his community cannot provide him with a parking space with an electric car battery charging pile. That's why he has ultimately lost interest in buying an electric car.

 

　　Yang says:

 

　　"I thought it would be great to have a fixed¹³ parking lot with a charging facility, but the property management company won't consider my needs. So I really don't have the desire the buy one now."

 

　　The lack of parking spaces with charging piles is the problem behind the infrastructure scarcity¹⁴. The problem is especially noticeable in some old communities in urban areas.

 

　　Before all these problems are solved, it's impossible to see e-car to make up a significant part of vehicles on the road.

 

　　For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

4 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 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。

8 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

9 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

11 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

12 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

14 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。