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US carmakers are struggling to reconcile customers’ growing interest in running vehicles on newly abundant natural gas with the logistical challenges of supplying the technology for the still-niche market, according to senior automotive executives.
汽車業(yè)高管表示，美國(guó)汽車制造商難以滿足顧客對(duì)天然氣動(dòng)力汽車日益增強(qiáng)的興趣，因?yàn)樵谶@一仍屬縫隙的市場(chǎng)供應(yīng)相關(guān)技術(shù)仍有不少物流挑戰(zhàn)。近年美國(guó)天然氣供應(yīng)變得充足。
The interest in compressed natural gas vehicles is the latest result of the gas glut following the shale oil and gas revolution. New drilling techniques have unlocked vast, previously inaccessible gas supplies in shale rocks.
對(duì)于壓縮天然氣汽車的興趣是頁(yè)巖油氣革命之后大量天然氣供應(yīng)的結(jié)果。新的鉆探技術(shù)從頁(yè)巖中釋放出以前無(wú)法獲取的大規(guī)模天然氣供應(yīng)。
Normal vehicles can use the plentiful fuel – which produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petrol or diesel fuel – with the addition of large fuel tanks and minor modifications to the engine. Large customers can sign long-term contracts to buy natural gas at low prices. However, Chrysler, smallest of the big three US carmakers, is offering only one vehicle with a CNG fuel option, while General Motors, largest by sales, is offering only a few models.
一般的汽車可以利用這種儲(chǔ)量豐富的燃料（其產(chǎn)生的溫室氣體排放少于汽油或柴油燃料）——只要加裝體積較大的氣罐，并對(duì)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)進(jìn)行少許改動(dòng)。大型客戶可以簽訂長(zhǎng)期協(xié)議，以低價(jià)購(gòu)買天然氣。然而，美國(guó)三大汽車制造商中規(guī)模最小的克萊斯勒(Chrysler)僅提供一款以壓縮天然氣為動(dòng)力的汽車，而銷量最大的通用汽車(GM)推出的車型也很少。
Chris Collins, director of advanced powertrains for Chrysler, said Chrysler was confident in CNG’s long-term future as a fuel. While other manufacturers handed work to install CNG equipment to smaller, after-market suppliers, Chrysler was building a CNG-powered pick-up truck on its own assembly lines.
克萊斯勒先進(jìn)動(dòng)力總成主管克里斯•柯林斯(Chris Collins)表示，克萊斯勒對(duì)于壓縮天然氣作為一種燃料的長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)前景充滿信心。盡管其他制造商將安裝壓縮天然氣設(shè)備的任務(wù)外包給規(guī)模較小的售后供應(yīng)商，但克萊斯勒正在自己的裝配線上生產(chǎn)一款以壓縮天然氣為動(dòng)力的皮卡。
General Motors was offering only “a handful” of pick-up trucks, two full-size vans and the Chevrolet Impala passenger car with CNG, Mark Maher, GM’s chief engineer for powertrain integration, said. The company was working with after-market suppliers but wanted to keep tight control of the work, according to Mr Maher.
通用汽車動(dòng)力總成集成總工程師馬克•馬赫(Mark Maher)表示，通用汽車提供的以壓縮天然氣為動(dòng)力的車型包括“少量”皮卡、兩款全尺寸貨車以及雪佛蘭Impala(Chevrolet Impala)轎車。他表示，通用汽車與售后市場(chǎng)供應(yīng)商合作，但希望嚴(yán)格控制這塊業(yè)務(wù)。
Only Ford, the US’s second-biggest carmaker by sales, is offering a comprehensive range. Jon Coleman, Ford’s sustainability manager for fleet sales, said it was using after-market suppliers to install CNG equipment and offering the “broadest portfolio of vehicles” it could.
只有在美國(guó)市場(chǎng)銷量居第二位的汽車制造商福特(Ford)提供廣泛的系列產(chǎn)品。福特車隊(duì)銷售可持續(xù)發(fā)展經(jīng)理約翰•科爾曼(Jon Coleman)表示，該公司正利用售后市場(chǎng)供應(yīng)商安裝壓縮天然氣設(shè)備，并盡力提供“最齊全的車型組合”。
All of the companies attributed the limited demand for CNG vehicles to the shortage of CNG filling stations and the cost and size of the fuel tanks.
這些公司都將壓縮天然氣汽車需求有限，歸因于壓縮天然氣充氣站短缺以及氣罐的成本和尺寸。
But John O’Dell, a senior editor at Edmunds.com, the automotive site, said that, if those challenges could be overcome, the attractions were significant. “Natural gas is as close as possible to a no-compromise replacement for gasoline or diesel.”
然而，汽車網(wǎng)站Edmunds.com高級(jí)編輯約翰•奧戴爾(John O’Dell)表示，如果能夠克服這些挑戰(zhàn)，吸引力將很可觀。“天然氣是一種可取代石油或柴油、且不會(huì)在性能上打折扣的選擇，在這方面近乎完美。”
