美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why hybrids are more popular than EVs — even if they aren't quite as splashy

Why hybrids² are more popular than EVs — even if they aren't quite as splashy

Transcript³

Electric vehicles are all the rage these days. But hybrids — the kind without a plug — are much more popular with buyers. There's a new Prius, popular SUVs, pickups — and even a hybrid¹ Corvette.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Hybrid vehicles - you know, the ones that use both gas and electricity - do not get a ton of attention these days because everybody's talking about pure electric vehicles. But hybrids remain more popular than EVs. NPR's Camila Domonoske reports.

CAMILA DOMONOSKE, BYLINE⁵: At the DC Auto⁶ Show last month, Mason Bond said his favorite car was the Toyota future car.

MASON BOND: It recognizes your personality with artificial intelligence, so whatever mood you're in, the car will ask you if they can drive you.

DOMONOSKE: AI - it's everywhere these days. But his grandpa, Steve, was checking out something less whiz-bang. Call it the Toyota today car, a hybrid Highlander⁷.

STEVE BOND: I think it's time to go from straight gasoline to a hybrid model for the better mileage⁸.

DOMONOSKE: Nearby, Carla Grenell was also planning to check out the latest and greatest tech.

CARLA GRENELL: And I think there's a BMW here that changes colors. I don't know. Is that a real - have you heard of that?

DOMONOSKE: Real thing. But when it comes to the next car that Grenell will consider buying, it won't change colors, it won't read minds and it probably won't have a plug.

GRENELL: Hybrids would be nice to afford, like, kind of like the Prius. That sort of hybrid.

DOMONOSKE: These old-school kind of hybrids are still popular - in fact, much more popular than electric vehicles. Michelle Krebs is with Cox Automotive.

MICHELLE KREBS: About 11% of all new car shoppers look at EVs. About 20% shop for hybrids.

DOMONOSKE: Right now, lots of those shoppers wind up disappointed. For both hybrids and electric vehicles, demand outstrips¹⁰ supply right now, But it shows that a lot of people want hybrids, including people who say they would eventually like to have an electric vehicle. And it's not just because hybrids tend to be a lot cheaper.

KREBS: There's still people who have trepidation¹¹ about range anxiety and charging and that kind of thing with EVs. And so they see hybrids as a stepping stone.

DOMONOSKE: Apartment dwellers¹² might not have a place to charge at home. Or take Steve Bond. He says, sure, he'd drive an EV someday.

BOND: But not yet.

DOMONOSKE: As for why, he said road trips.

BOND: Availability of charging stations, or I should say lack of.

DOMONOSKE: Meanwhile, hybrid shoppers also have a lot more options these days. The Prius got a sportier redesign - still gets 57 miles to the gallon. But there are also hybrid SUVs and trucks, like Toyota's hybrid RAV4 - 41 miles to the gallon - and the Ford⁹ Maverick¹³ pickup⁴, which gets 42 miles to the gallon. Or, if you're looking for something sportier...

(SOUNDBITE OF ENGINE REVVING)

DOMONOSKE: ...The new Corvette E-Ray has a big beast of a gas engine in the back...

(SOUNDBITE OF ENGINE REVVING)

DOMONOSKE: ...And an electric motor about the size of a Folgers coffee can tucked between the front wheels. As for fuel economy - come on, it's a Corvette. Here's chief engineer Josh Holder¹⁴.

JOSH HOLDER: That's not what this car is about. This is all about enhancing the performance of the Corvette.

DOMONOSKE: Performance, as in going hybrid meant better traction¹⁵ and the fastest Corvette ever - zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds. So, no, hybrids aren't the newest or the hottest technology, but they've moved firmly into the mainstream¹⁶ and they are still very popular. And I probably don't need to tell you that. According to surveys, NPR listeners are twice as likely as the average American to drive a Prius.

Camila Domonoske, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF C Y G N'S "ESCAPE WORLD")

1 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。

2 hybrids   

n.杂交生成的生物体( hybrid的名词复数 )；杂交植物（或动物）；杂种；（不同事物的）混合物

参考例句：

• All these brightly coloured hybrids are so lovely in the garden. 花园里所有这些色彩鲜艳的杂交花真美丽。 来自辞典例句
• The notion that interspecific hybrids are rare is ill-founded. 有一种看法认为种间杂种是罕见的，这种看法是无根据的。 来自辞典例句

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 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。

7 highlander   

n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人

参考例句：

• They call him the highlander, he is Rory McLeod! 他们叫他寻事者，他是罗瑞·麦克劳德！ 来自互联网

8 mileage   

n.里程，英里数；好处，利润

参考例句：

• He doesn't think there's any mileage in that type of advertising.他认为做那种广告毫无效益。
• What mileage has your car done?你的汽车跑了多少英里？

9 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

10 outstrips   

v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Technology daily outstrips the ability of our institutions to cope with its fruits. 技术发展的速度超过了我们的制度所能应付其成果的程度。 来自辞典例句
• The significance of the foreign exchange market outstrips its impressive size. 外汇市场的意义超出了它给人的印象尺度。 来自互联网

11 trepidation   

n.惊恐，惶恐

参考例句：

• The men set off in fear and trepidation.这群人惊慌失措地出发了。
• The threat of an epidemic caused great alarm and trepidation.流行病猖獗因而人心惶惶。

12 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 maverick   

adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者

参考例句：

• He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
• You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。

14 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

15 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

16 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。