IS20. Electric Cars in France

Дата публикации: Feb 13, 2016 11:55:3 AM

Transcript

Suddenly it seems electric vehicles are showing up everywhere in the streets of Paris.

The French Post Office is starting to use run-out delivery vans.

Over the Americal Embassy, Ambassador Charles Rivkin has had of the key of a Chevy Volt, one of four, which will become the first electric cars to go on the service at the American diplomatic post officies.

But perhaps the most ambitios electric car project yet is that have been undertaken by French batteries maker Bolloré.

With the agreement of forty-five communities in the Greater Paris Area, it plans to put three thousand electric cars on the streets in an unique car sharing scheme.

Somewhat similar to the city daily basical plan The Autolib system permits anyone with a driver's license and a credit card to check out a four passenger car at one location and return it at another, miles away.

After choosing between an one-time use and various versions of longer term packages, a renter pays five euro only slightly under seven dollars for the first half-hour of use.

Jim Bittermann: .. .. to the call center and see what happens

R: All over depends on close coordination between the cars and the service center in a suburbs where employers check the drivers qualification

Operator: It's perfect. I've got it.

R: Track the movements of each car and, if need be, talk directly to the driver at an event or a problem

M2: You have no smells. You have no noise when you see all the cars driving in the city. We want to have a smart car and we have here a board with all the cars, where they are, where you have cars available, where you have shelters available and a combination of all of that.

Jim Bittermann: No accent so far.

W: No, no, it isn't

Jim Bittermann: Okay. Fine. Good

R: In the first five days that the system was in operation four thousand people ... various rental packages. The company figures, it needs eighty thousand people using a car in a year to break even. Still Bolloré spent nearly two billion dollars developing the battery, the car and the rental system. So as much as the Autolib plan is about establishing a car sharing mentality in Paris, it's also about selling cars

Jim Bittermann: What.. what if I give it a gas, er, it's no gas, it's .. what if I give it the full electricity?

R: The company would eventually like to sell the Italian design ... to the general public and because they have the top speed at one hundred kilometers in hour and a range of two hundred fifty kilometers Bolloré figures reduce operation cost to make their cars attractive to far more people than that just those who're living in the French capital.

Jim Bittermann: In the first few days I've been in a few accidents cover by the insurance which automatically comes with each car rental.

And there's been at least one attempt of a car theft which was stopped almost immediately because the exact position of each car is monitored carefully.

Still there are hardly the kind of things that discourage electric car promoters who see very few pumps in a road ahead.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.

Comprehension Check

1. How are these cars different from other existing ones?

2. What’s the most ambitious plan regarding their production?

3. What other services can you order?

Use the GPS

Book your parking space from the vehicle

Contact Autolib assistance, available 24/7

Today, there are 2000 self-service cars available 24/7 spread out over 840 charging stations in the Greater Paris area, an additional 1000 cars are on their way to Autolib’. You can easily reserve a car or parking space for free, no need to lose time!

A team of assistants is at your disposal 24/7 to help you through any issues you may have with the Autolib’ service, from subscriptions to the car’s details. Better yet, you can contact us straight from the on-board computer!

The on-board computer and GPS systems give the driver all the necessary information from battery life to where the nearest Autolib’ charging point is and how to get there.

You will benefit from a series of equipment on board designed especially with your protection and comfort in mind: airbags, electric power-steering and even a discreet warning sound to signal the proximity of the silent car to pedestrians. A yellow jacket and emergency triangle are also provided. For the safety of your children, the car is equipped with a system to accommodate for a child seat.

Autolib’ will save you the cost of buying a vehicle, gasoline, insurance, maintenance, parking and even possible fines.

4. How much was spent on the battery?

5. What’s the top speed?

6. Is insurance provided with each car?

The Bolloré Bluecar is a small four-seat, three-door electric car supplied by Bolloré, designed by Pininfarina and manufactured by Cecomp in Bairo, Italy, under a joint venture owned by Bolloré and Pininfarina called Vehicule Électriques Pininfarina Bolloré (VEPB). The car has a 30kWh lithium polymer (LMP) battery, coupled to a supercapacitor, that provides an electric range of 250 km (160 mi) in urban use, and a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph).

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

Length 3.65 m

Width 1.70 m

Height 1.61 m

Boot capacity 200 l (350dm3)

Kerb weight 1,120 kg

POWER AND BATTERY

Max power 50kW

Rated power 35kW

Batteries BatScap Lithium Métal

Polymère 20kW

CONSTRUCTION

Chassis Steel and aluminium

Bodywork Aluminium and ABS plastics -

2 doors, 4 places

PERFORMANCE

Maximum speed 130 km/h - electronically

capped

Acceleration 0-60 km/h in 6,3 seconds

AUTONOMY

Urban cycle 250 km

Extra urban cycle 150 km

Wordlist

vehicle noun BrE /ˈviːəkl/ ; NAmE /ˈviːəkl/ , also /ˈviːhɪkl/

1. (rather formal) a thing that is used for transporting people or goods from one place to another, such as a car or lorry/truck

motor vehicles (= cars, buses, lorries/trucks, etc.)

Are you the driver of this vehicle?

rows of parked vehicles

2. vehicle (for something) something that can be used to express your ideas or feelings or as a way of achieving something

Art may be used as a vehicle for propaganda.

The play is an ideal vehicle for her talents.

hand verb BrE /hænd/ ; NAmE /hænd/ - to pass or give something to somebody

hand something to somebody She handed the letter to me.

hand somebody something She handed me the letter.

embassy noun BrE /ˈembəsi/ ; NAmE /ˈembəsi/ (pl. embassies)

1. a group of officials led by an ambassador who represent their government in a foreign country

embassy officials

to inform the embassy of the situation

2. the building in which an embassy works

a demonstration outside the Russian Embassy

undertake verb BrE /ˌʌndəˈteɪk/ ; NAmE /ˌʌndərˈteɪk/ (formal)

1. undertake something to make yourself responsible for something and start doig it

to undertake a task/project

University professors both teach and undertake research.

The company has announced that it will undertake a full investigation into the accident.

2. undertake to do something | undertake that… to agree or promise that you will do something

He undertook to finish the job by Friday.

undertaker noun BrE /ˈʌndəteɪkə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈʌndərteɪkər/

(formal funeral director)

(North American English also mortician)

a person whose job is to prepare the bodies of dead people to be buried or cremated, and to arrange funerals

community noun BrE /kəˈmjuːnəti/ ; NAmE /kəˈmjuːnəti/ (pl. communities)

1. [singular] all the people who live in a particular area, country, etc. when talked about as a group

The local community was shocked by the murders.

health workers based in the community (= working with people in a local area)

the international community (= the countries of the world as a group)

good community relations with the police

(North American English) community parks/libraries (= paid for by the local town/city)

2. [countable + singular or plural verb] a group of people who share the same religion, race, job, etc.

the Polish community in London

ethnic communities

the farming community

3. [uncountable] the feeling of sharing things and belonging to a group in the place where you live

There is a strong sense of community in this town.

community spirit

4. [countable] (biology) a group of plants and animals growing or living in the same place or environment

a community fish tank

scheme noun BrE /skiːm/ ; NAmE /skiːm/

1. (British English) a plan or system for doing or organizing something [= program American English]

a training scheme

scheme (for doing something) a local scheme for recycling newspapers

scheme (to do something) to introduce/operate a scheme to improve links between schools and industry

Under the new scheme only successful schools will be given extra funding.

2. a plan for getting money or some other advantage for yourself, especially one that involves cheating other people

an elaborate scheme to avoid taxes

Idioms

the/somebody’s scheme of things - the way things seem to be organized; the way somebody wants everything to be organized

My personal problems are not really important in the overall scheme of things.

I don't think marriage figures in his scheme of things.

shelter noun BrE /ˈʃeltə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈʃeltər/

1. [uncountable] the fact of having a place to live or stay, considered as a basic human need

Human beings need food, clothing and shelter.

2. [uncountable] shelter (from something) protection from rain, danger or attack

to take shelter from the storm

The fox was running for the shelter of the trees.

People were desperately seeking shelter from the gunfire.

3. [countable] (often in compounds) a structure built to give protection, especially from the weather or from attack

They built a rough shelter from old pieces of wood.

an air-raid shelter

see also bus shelter - a structure with a roof where people can stand while they are waiting for a bus

4. [countable] a building, usually owned by a charity, that provides a place to stay for people without a home, or protection for people or animals who have been badly treated

a night shelter for the homeless

an animal shelter

theft noun BrE /θeft/ ; NAmE /θeft/

1. [uncountable, countable] theft (of something) the crime of stealing something from a person or place

car theft

Police are investigating the theft of computers from the company's offices.

burglary noun BrE /ˈbɜːɡləri/ ; NAmE /ˈbɜːrɡləri/ [uncountable, countable](pl. burglaries)

1. the crime of entering a building illegally and stealing things from it

synonym housebreaking

The youth was charged with three counts of burglary.

a rise in the number of burglaries committed in the area

Audio equipment was stolen in a burglary at the mall.

robbery noun BrE /ˈrɒbəri/ ; NAmE /ˈrɑːbəri/ [uncountable, countable](pl. robberies)

1. the crime of stealing money or goods from a bank, shop/store, person, etc., especially using violence or threats

armed robbery (= using a gun, knife, etc.)

There has been a spate of robberies in the area recently.

He was shot as he tried to foil a bank robbery.

He already had a conviction for armed robbery.

discourage verb BrE /dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ/ ; NAmE /dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒ/

1. to try to prevent something or to prevent somebody from doing something, especially by making it difficult to do or by showing that you do not approve of it

discourage (doing) something a campaign to discourage smoking among teenagers

discourage somebody I leave a light on when I'm out to discourage burglars.

discourage somebody from doing something His parents tried to discourage him from being an actor.

2. to make somebody feel less confident or enthusiastic about doing something

synonym dishearten

discourage somebody Don't be discouraged by the first failure—try again!

discourage somebody from doing something The weather discouraged people from attending.

opposite encourage

pump noun BrE /pʌmp/ ; NAmE /pʌmp/

1. a machine that is used to force liquid, gas or air into or out of something

She washed her face at the pump in front of the inn.

(British English) a petrol pump

(North American English) a gas pump

a foot/hand pump (= that you work by using your foot or hand)

a bicycle pump