VOA新闻杂志2024--Some Cubans Are Turning to Electric Bikes, Vehicles

Some Cubans Are Turning to Electric Bikes, Vehicles

Cuba's capital, Havana, is famous for its colorful vintage cars. They fill the streets and are often popular subjects for visitors' photographs.

But these days, Cubans are just as likely to be found traveling around town quickly and quietly on electric scooters made with Chinese parts.

"Electric motorcycles are solving a lot of problems in Cuba, they are already used for almost everything," said Omar Cortina. He is a Cuban hotel worker who recently purchased his first electric vehicle -- a lime-green scooter powered by a lithium battery.

Until recently, Cuba's roads had changed little in the years since former leader Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Old cars with old exhaust systems drove along uneven¹ roads.

Today, electric vehicles are an increasingly common transportation choice. Between 2020 and 2022, Cuba-based companies produced more than 23,000 electric vehicles. That number comes from official government sources.

Fuel is hard to find and expensive

Fuel for combustion²-powered engines has been hard to find for years in Cuba. People would wait in fuel lines for hours and sometimes even days.

Earlier this year, the price for gasoline increased to five times the usual price. That means a usual 40-liter tank of gas costs more than a state-worker's average monthly earnings³. For most Cubans, that made purchasing gasoline nearly impossible.

Public transportation is hardly any better

But costly⁴ fuel is not the only problem.

There are fewer buses in Havana than there were in the past. This year, half the bus routes to points outside the capital were cut, state-run news agencies in Cuba report. Fuel and parts to repair old buses are also harder to find.

All these factors have helped to increase the demand for electric vehicles. Products from newly formed companies like Caribbean Electric Vehicles (Vedca) are helping⁵ to fill that demand.

Vedca is a joint⁶ venture between Chinese investor⁷ Tianjin Dongxing Industrial and Cuban state bicycle manufacturer Minerva. It has produced more than 2,000 scooters, bikes, and mini-tricycle trucks in Cuba with Chinese parts.

Juilo Oscar Perez is the company's director. Perez told reporters that electric vehicles are not just giving people another way of getting around. They are also solving fuel-related problems.

The company, Perez said, has also begun testing a new electric tractor and experimenting with other electric-powered heavy machinery⁸.

Other small Cuban companies also sell electric bikes. Some bikes are basic while others are more costly. The government also recently began permitting imports of much costlier⁹ electric vehicles.

Imports of automobiles¹⁰ from the neighboring United States have risen to $24.6 million so far in 2024, the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said. There is a growing number of Cubans who want more luxurious¹¹ electric and hybrid¹² automobiles, including Teslas.

But the number of Cubans who can pay for such vehicles is still small. For Omar Cortina, the hotel worker, just being able to get back and forth¹³ from work is enough of a selling-point.

Words in This Story

vintage - adj. dating from the past : old

exhaust - n. a system of pipes through which exhaust escapes

internal combustion engines - n. a heat engine in which the combustion that generates the heat takes place inside the engine proper instead of in a furnace

factor - n. something that contributes to the production of a result

joint venture - n. a commercial enterprise undertaken jointly¹⁴ by two or more parties which otherwise retain their distinct identities

upscale - adj. relating to, being, or appealing to affluent¹⁵ consumers also : of a superior quality

luxurious - adj. characterized by opulence¹⁶, sumptuousness¹⁷, or rich abundance

hybrid - adj. a vehicle that uses both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors to power it.

1 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

2 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

8 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

9 costlier   

adj.昂贵的( costly的比较级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的

参考例句：

• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather. 鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。 来自互联网
• Disagreements among creditors can be costlier still. 债权人之间的分歧会加大重组的费用。 来自互联网

10 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》

11 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

12 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。

13 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

14 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

15 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

16 opulence   

n.财富，富裕

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence.他从未见过这样的财富。
• He owes his opulence to work hard.他的财富乃辛勤工作得来。

17 sumptuousness   

奢侈，豪华

参考例句：

• No need to dwell on the sumptuousness of that feast. 更不用再说那肴馔之盛。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学