To reduce carbon emissions, the European Union has set up strict regulations over the past few years, and most European car companies have begun to move to electric vehicle production under new regulations. However, their efforts are far from enough.
The question remains: Can passenger cars reduce carbon emissions? With this goal in mind, a student team named TU/ecomotive from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands started to build a very special electric vehicle prototype(样机), ZEM.
The sporty car is like a BMW coupe, but has a unique feature: It captures more carbon than it emits.
“Our end goal is to create a more sustainable future,” Jens Lahaije, finance manager for TU/ecomotive, told Reuters.
Called ZEM, for zero emission mobility (零排放出行), the two-seater houses a lithium-ion battery pack (锂电池组), and most of its parts are 3D printed from recycled plastics, Lahaije said.
“The target is to minimize the CO2 emitted during the car’s full lifespan, from manufacturing to recycling,” he added.
Battery electric vehicles emit almost no CO2 during operation compared with combustion-engine vehicles (燃油车), but battery cell production can create large amounts of pollution.
“Direct air capture is a fairly new method of cleaning the air by capturing CO2 into a filter. The idea is very simple: While driving, air will move through our self-designed filters and the CO2 will be captured and stored,” the student team told the CleanTechnica news website.
ZEM uses two filters that can capture up to 2 kilograms of CO2 over 20,000 miles of driving, the Eindhoven team estimated. They imagine a future when filters can be cleared at charging stations.
The students are showing their vehicle on a US promotional tour to universities and companies from the East Coast to Silicon Valley.
8. What does paragraph 1 talk about?
A.The background of developing ZEM. | B.The main sources of pollution in Europe. |
C.The EU’s car production structure. | D.Ways to reduce carbon emissions. |
9. What does the article tell us about ZEM?
A.It can carry four people. | B.It looks like a BMW coupe. |
C.All of its parts are 3D printed. | D.It was created by a team in Norway. |
10. How does ZEM reduce carbon emissions while driving?
A.By capturing air directly. | B.By using recycled plastics. |
C.By improving battery efficiency. | D.By using a lithium-ion battery pack. |
11. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?
A.To promote a cutting-edge electric vehicle. |
B.To report on the trend of electric vehicles. |
C.To state the importance of reducing carbon emissions. |
D.To introduce an environmentally friendly car. |