美国国家公共电台 NPR Tesla Led The Charge, But More Premium Electric Vehicles Are Arriving

Tesla Led The Charge, But More Premium¹ Electric Vehicles Are Arriving

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Tesla invented the luxury electric car. And for the last decade, if you want us to drop 70 grand or more on an upscale electric vehicle, Tesla has pretty much been the only option. But now that's changing, and as more pricey electric cars arrive on the market, it's a preview of the entire car industry. NPR's Camila Domonoske has this report.

CAMILA DOMONOSKE, BYLINE²: The Jaguar³ I-PACE, an electric crossover, went on sale late last year.

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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: A Jaguar still roars, but silently.

DOMONOSKE: Silently because electric motors are quiet. You may have spotted⁴ Audi's e-tron in a Super Bowl ad this year. It's for sale right now. Later this year, the first electric Mercedes and Porsche.

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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: So electrified⁵.

DOMONOSKE: Tesla showed that you could make a luxury electric car for a profit. That got the attention of other luxury carmakers - also, government regulations from California and other states that promote electric vehicles. Automakers used to respond to these mandates⁷ half-heartedly. They'd build what's called a compliance⁸ car. Chelsea Sexton, an industry consultant⁹ and electric vehicle advocate, explains.

CHELSEA SEXTON: It is expensive. It's low volume. It's hard to get. It's somehow engineered to be a little bit unattractive in some way, very low range, et cetera, et cetera.

DOMONOSKE: Often, they'd only be for sale in the states that have mandates. Automakers would then point to poor sales to say electric vehicles just aren't profitable. Sexton calls that a self-fulfilling prophecy.

SEXTON: As long as things aren't available, they're never going to sell. People can't buy what isn't out there.

DOMONOSKE: But the new premium electric vehicles - the ones going toe-to-toe with Tesla - they're available in every state, and the cars themselves are not the compliance cars of old.

REBECCA LINDLAND: So one of the things that struck me about the Audi e-tron is that it was so normal.

DOMONOSKE: Rebecca Lindland is an independent auto⁶ analyst¹⁰.

LINDLAND: You're not compromising. You're not sacrificing. You're driving a really good Audi, and by the way, it's electric.

DOMONOSKE: More affordable¹¹ electric cars, which have been on the market for years, are promoted as eco-friendly electrics. But ask Jaguar executives why the company made the I-PACE, and you won't hear the word emissions¹². Executives say the goal was to make a crossover that drives like a sports car. Analyst Sam Abuelsamid says this is part of a broader strategy.

SAM ABUELSAMID: There's a certain segment of the audience that wants an environmentally friendly vehicle. They want to show off their green credentials¹³. But the reality is that most consumers just want to have a nice car that, you know, that drives well, looks good.

DOMONOSKE: For a long time, cars like Teslas were bought by early adopters like Alex Schefer. As he drives his Tesla Model S around Arlington, Va., he says he's been waiting impatiently for these other options.

ALEX SCHEFER: I mean, this car came out in 2012. In 2015, Porsche said, hey we're going to make this Mission E. And that's great. I love Porsches. But now it's 2019, and I still can't buy one.

DOMONOSKE: He doesn't have much longer to wait, but the bigger question is, what happens with people who haven't been waiting, people who don't think of themselves as electric vehicles fans? Will these new customers spring for an electric if it's sold by a familiar luxury brand? Right now, it's too early to tell. And few people can afford a car that costs 70 grand and up. But how to broaden the appeal of electrics? It's not just a challenge for the Porsches and Audis of the world. Right now, every major automaker is working on electric vehicles to hit the market over the next few years. Camila Domonoske, NPR News.

1 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

2 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。

3 jaguar   

n.美洲虎

参考例句：

• He was green with envy when he saw my new Jaguar car.看见我那辆美洲虎牌新车，他非常妒忌。
• Should you meet a jaguar in the jungle,just turn slowly,walk away.But slowly,never look back.你在丛林中若碰上美洲虎，就慢慢转身走开，可一定要慢，切莫回头看。

4 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

5 electrified   

v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The railway line was electrified in the 1950s. 这条铁路线在20世纪50年代就实现了电气化。
• The national railway system has nearly all been electrified. 全国的铁路系统几乎全部实现了电气化。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

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 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

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 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。

13 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。