評論
打印
Business
商業報道
Electric cars
電動汽車
Charging into America
充電進入美國
Chinese firms are keen on America's battery-vehicle market
中國公司致力于美國電動車公司市場
TESLA, an American electric-car manufacturer, is the darling of investors and the most visible success in a business more notable for its failures.
美國電動車制造商TESLA是投資者們的寵兒，相比較該行業的失敗之處，它也是最顯著的成功。
The praise it has attracted is encouraging Chinese firms to try to enter the American market.
它所贏得的贊賞激勵中國公司試圖進入美國市場。
A Hong Kong company and a mainland firm are battling for control of Fisker, a failed maker of hybrid-electric cars based in California; a court hearing due on January 10th will consider creditors' calls for an open auction.
一家香港公司和大陸公司正在為Fisker的管理控制權而爭奪不休。Fisker是加利福尼亞一家倒閉的混合動力汽車制造商。1月10日的庭審將考慮債權人所要求的公開拍賣。
And BYD, another Chinese mainland firm, said this week it would start selling its own electric cars in America next year.
另一家中國公司BYD本周表示明年起將在美國出售自己的電動車。
In 2009, when America's Department of Energy agreed to give Fisker a big green energy loan to start production of its sleek Karma sports car, it looked like posing a serious threat to Tesla.
2009年，美國能源部門同意給予Fisker一筆巨大的綠色能源貸款生產其Karma跑車，這對于Tesla似乎是一種嚴重的威脅。
But Fisker was brought down by quality problems, poor management and the financial difficulties of A123, its battery supplier.
但是Fisker卻因為質量問題、糟糕的管理、A123的財政問題及其電池供應商的問題倒閉了。
Production of the Karma ceased in late 2012 and, last November, Fisker followed A123 into bankruptcy.
Karma跑車在2012年底停產了，去年11月，Fisker繼A123之后破產。
Hybrid Tech Holdings, controlled by Richard Li—a son of Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's richest tycoon—bought the DOE's loan to Fisker at a big discount and is now seeking to use its influence as a creditor to win control of the collapsed firm.
香港首富李嘉誠的兒子李澤愷的混合動力科技股份有限公司以極其優惠的價格支付了美國能源部門給Fisker的貸款，現在他正利用自己債權人的身份影響尋覓機會贏得該倒閉公司的控制權。
Fisker's managers support Mr Li's bid.
Fisker的經理支持李澤愷的投標。
But many of the company's unsecured creditors prefer the rival takeover proposal, from Wanxiang, a giant Chinese maker of car parts which aspires to go big into electric cars.
但是許多該公司的無擔保債權人更偏向于其競爭對手，另一家打算強勢打入電動車市場的汽車部件制造大亨萬向集團來接管。
It has already bought A123 and plans to revive production of the Karma, assembling it in America rather than, as before, in Finland.
該公司已經收購了A123并打算重新生產Karma跑車，這次打算在美國裝配，而不是之前的芬蘭。
For all the excitement about Tesla, battery cars have in general been selling like pork pies at a vegetarians' convention.
所有關于Tesla的興奮，電動車普遍被看作素食者公約買賣的豬肉派。
Yet this is deterring neither Fisker's rival bidders nor BYD, which has Warren Buffett as a shareholder.
然而這既沒有阻斷Fisker的競爭投標人也沒有讓Warren Buffett的股東BYD止步。
BYD has already persuaded Los Angeles to accept a handful of its expensive electric buses, but getting motorists to buy pricey battery cars from a firm they have not heard of will be quite a challenge.
BYD已經說服洛杉磯購買其少量的昂貴電動公交車。但是要讓司機們購買他們從未耳聞的昂貴的電動車似乎很困難。
Neither BYD nor any other Chinese firm has yet produced an electric car of anything like the quality of Tesla's Model S, which motoring pundits have showered with plaudits.
無論是BYD還是中國任何一家其他公司能制造出與Tesla S 型電動車質量相仿的電動車，該電動車贏得許多汽車專家的喝彩。
Even in China, where big subsidies and other inducements are on offer, buyers have spurned their clunkers.
即使在中國這樣有著大型津貼和其他誘因供應的地方，買家也會摒棄其廢舊的汽車。
