Passage 3

Thank you for coming, everyone. Today’s presentation will show how we see the development of the motor car in the short to medium term, and that is why we have invited all of you here today. Let’s start with power. It’s clear that petrol-driven engines have no future. Already there are many alternative fuel vehicles on the market, powered by anything from solar power to natural gas. Some independent thinkers have even produced cars that run on vegetable oil. But as we all know, of all these alternative fuel vehicles, the most practical are electric vehicles. Sure, in the past electric vehicles have their problems, namely, a limited driving range, and very few recharging points, which limited their use. Now, however, recent developments in electric vehicle technology mean they can match conventional petrol engines in terms of performance and safety. Let’s not forget that electric vehicles are cleaner. Plus, importantly, the power source is rechargeable, so this does not involve using any valuable resources. Moving on to communications, very soon, cars will be linked to GPS satellites, so they’ll do all the driving for you. What controls remain for the users will be audio-based, so, for example, you’ll just have to say “a bit warmer”, and the air conditioning will adjust automatically. You’ll also be able to receive email, music and movies, all via an internet link. So just type in the destination you want, sit back, sleep, watch your movie, whatever.

Questions 33. What is the presentation mainly about?

Questions 34. What used to restrict the use of electric vehicles?

Questions 35. What does the speaker say about electric vehicles of today?