Should you buy an electric car? Concerns about range and a lack of charging points have held back sales. The FT’s global motor industry correspondent Peter Campbell drag races a Tesla against an Aston Martin, hits the city streets in a Nissan Leaf and checks out a new Jaguar I-pace.
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Watch
Read the Financial Times article and watch the video at: Should You Buy An Electric Car?
Glossary
- range – the distance that can be covered by a vehicle or aircraft without refuelling
- pinnacle – the most successful point; the culmination
- bulky – taking up much space; large and unwieldy
- to wear down – to make something gradually disappear or become thinner by using or rubbing it
- socket – an electrical device receiving a plug or light bulb to make a connection
- extension lead/extension cord – a length of electric cable which permits the use of appliances at some distance from a fixed socket
- to hold off – delay or postpone an action or decision
- drawback – a feature that renders something less acceptable; a disadvantage or problem
Watch and listen
Answer the questions below.
- How do electric and combustion engine cars differ in terms of acceleration? (1:10)
- What are the differences in the interior? (1:50)
- What is regenerative braking and what are its advantages? (2:55)
- How is the experience of driving an electric car different? (3:25)
- What is range anxiety? (6:00)
Practice Makes Perfect
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the word in [CAPITALS] at the end of the line. Go to Financial Times to find out more.
But for everyday driving, could you really live with a battery-powered vehicle?
Electric vehicles have graduated from a niche environmental concern to a serious 1__________ for mainstream motorists, as the technology comes of age and major manufacturers prepare to flood forecourts with battery-driven alternatives. [PROPOSE]
No wonder car buyers are 2__________. [CONFUSION]
The battery has to be plugged in to 3__________. [CHARGE]
A product launch 4__________ is coming down the road. [SLAY]
Dealers say an order placed today is 5__________ to arrive in February. [LIKE]
The centre’s manager, Ted Foster, knows of at least 100 sales that directly resulted from a visit to his shop but estimates that the effects of it will ripple far 6__________. [WIDTH]
Prices are also likely to fall as more options come on to the market, creating 7__________ in each product segment, from family cars to 8__________ SUVs. [CHOOSE] [SPACE]
But the real advantage lies in the 9__________ costs, with big savings on fuel costs, servicing, and car parking, not to mention the value of free access to toll areas such as London’s Congestion Charge Zone (currently £11.50 per day). [RUN]
But early fears that batteries would degrade were 10__________, and the values of second hand electric vehicles have been quietly climbing. [BLOW]
This means most people charge their cars overnight at home, or at work, and only visit public charging stations very 11__________. [FREQUENCY]
The economics alone, which has tipped in favour of electric cars for some time, will not be enough to spur large numbers of today’s car buyers to 12__________ to battery powered vehicles. [CONVERSION]
Electric cars need a new consumer 13 __________, from being prepared to plug in and charge at a service area, to pulling off silently while checking for un-suspecting pedestrians. [MIND]
Answers:
1. proposition 2. confused 3. recharge 4. onslaught 5. likely 6. wider 7. choice 8. spacious 9. running 10. overblown 11. infrequently 12. convert 13. mindset
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Explore it more – for an opposing view
Go to this Science News article to find out more.
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