美国国家公共电台 NPR After Diesel Scandal, VW Turns To New Leadership And Electric Cars

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

I think we've had this headline before. Volkswagen is trying to move on from its diesel¹ scandal - again. VW admitted two years ago to installing devices in its diesel vehicles that falsely improved their emissions² tests. Now it's moving on to electric cars. Here's NPR's Sonari Glinton.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE³: Volkswagen's diesel scandal is one of the biggest consumer fraud cases in U.S. history. Just days after it was discovered that VW's supposedly clean diesel cars were anything but clean, it was an existential crisis for the company. Here is the then-head of VW North America, Michael Horn.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MICHAEL HORN: Our company was dishonest with the EPA and the California Air Resources Board and with all of you. And in my German words, we have totally screwed up.

GLINTON: OK, that was the - only the half of it. The company had to pay over $20 billion in fines, and there's still ongoing⁴ investigations⁵ in Europe.

JAKE FISHER: With Volkswagen, it was almost, that time was perfect for them. They needed to really walk away from diesel.

GLINTON: Jake Fisher is director of auto⁶ testing at Consumer Reports. He says before the diesel scandal, the company didn't seem that interested in electric cars or fuel economy. They had an electric car, but Fisher says it was just sort of window dressing⁷.

FISHER: If you look at the e-Golf, it was really a compliance⁸ car. They took a Volkswagen Golf, they put some batteries in it and really just did it so they could have an electric car.

GLINTON: Fisher says, in many ways, the diesel scandal allowed VW to pivot⁹. Not only were they invested heavily in diesel, but they had been for years. And you think of the other brands that Volkswagen owns, like Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, well, performance and style trump¹⁰ fuel economy. But that has begun to change. Nearly every brand and every segment, from affordable¹¹ small cars to SUVs and luxury, VW has an electric version either in production or in the works.

FISHER: They were so heavily invested in diesels¹², they very quickly just stopped and just doubled down on electric vehicles. So that was a very quick shift, and they needed to do that.

GLINTON: In the next 18 months, American drivers will get at least four electric vehicle options from Volkswagen. That's according to VW's chief engineering officer, Matthias Erb.

MATTHIAS ERB: In my opinion, that is what we currently have been missing everywhere. This is playing the biggest role in our overall strategy. Electrification¹³ is going to be the powertrain of the future.

GLINTON: Erb admits that as terrible as the VW's diesel scandal was for the company, it did push it towards electrification.

ERB: We've been taking the diesel issue very seriously, and we spent more than $20 billion to make it right again. Of course, the experience out of this issue supported and accelerated those conversion¹⁴ processes in the direction of electrification.

JOEL LEVIN: I think that all of the things that they're talking about and the investments that they're making sound very exciting, but I want to see the cars come out.

GLINTON: Joel Levin is skeptical¹⁵. He's with Plug In America, an advocacy group for electric car owners. He says he will reserve his right to be skeptical of Volkswagen or any carmaker, especially when it comes to making electric cars.

LEVIN: It's easy to be skeptical of Volkswagen because, you know, they've got some kind of checkered¹⁶ history over the last few years. Pretty much every major manufacturer is talking about making big investments and moving to electric, but show me.

GLINTON: And then it'll be for consumers to judge. Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

1 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

2 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。

3 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。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

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 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

8 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

9 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

10 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

11 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

12 diesels   

柴油( diesel的名词复数 )； 柴油机机车（或船等）

参考例句：

• The diesels roared, the conductors jumped aboard, and off the train went. 内燃机发出轰鸣声，列车员跳上车厢，火车开走了。
• The diesels catch and roar, a welcome sound. 柴油机开动，发生了怒吼，这是令人鼓舞的声音。

13 electrification   

n.充电，电气化；起电；电化；带电

参考例句：

• Electrification of the countryside--yes, that, too, is impressive. 是的。农村电气化也是了不起的事。 来自演讲部分
• After electrification, it will readily stick to a wall or a ceiling. 起电后，它立即吸附到墙壁上或天花板上。 来自辞典例句

14 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

15 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

16 checkered   

adj.有方格图案的

参考例句：

• The ground under the trees was checkered with sunlight and shade.林地光影交错。
• He’d had a checkered past in the government.他过去在政界浮沉。