SIM SUPER ELMer
<TOEICリスニング・リーディング特効薬!> オリジナル英文
 
<No.617>
Revitalized US Auto Industry Focuses on Technology
at Detroit Auto Show
The biggest news at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit is not about the autos at all.

It's what manufacturers are planning to put in them.

"Every automaker here at the show is launching some form of cool technology inside the vehicles, whether it's adaptive cruise control or Smart Stop Technology, or even utilizing 3-D printing to print out and create the interior of your vehicle."

"My great-grandfather changed the way the world moved with the Model T in very fundamental ways.

So we have the same opportunity now in a very different era with very different challenges in front of us."

Technology and "mobility" were the themes of Ford's presentation during the press preview this year.

"And Ford's smart mobility is our plan to be a leader in connectivity and mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics."

Ford is testing autonomous vehicles in various weather conditions with the hopes of having driverless cars on the road by 2020.

It also is opening retail stores throughout the world where customers can interact with new technological offerings, including an app and a customer loyalty rewards program.

Ford's efforts to keep customers engaged, and returning, comes at a time when overall U.S.sales reached 10-year highs in 2015.

"Numbers are up for automakers.

If you think about it actually, the compact SUV market is up 11 percent over last year, actually beating out sedans, so consumers are looking for affordability."

To meet the increased demand, production in the hemisphere has ramped up.

"For North America, it will be about 17-and-a-half million for 2015, and upwards of 18 million in 2016."

Much of what customers will find in dealer showrooms this year is on display at the auto show, including more fuel efficient, but larger, vehicles.

"That's simply about maximizing your miles per gallon.

It's a big part of what automakers are doing on the gas side of the business.

How many miles can I get on one tank of gasoline?"

That tank of gasoline is cheaper today - less than $2 a gallon in many parts of the U.S.

Even so, highly fuel-efficient and electric-powered vehicles are still a dominant presence on the show floor.

Kane Farabaugh, VOA News, Detroit, Michigan
 

東京SIM外語研究所
tokyosim@tokyo-sim.com

SIMロゴ

▲Page Top
Copyright (C) 2003 Tokyo-SIM. All Rights Reserved.
特定商取引法に基づく表示 会社概要 厚生労働大臣指定講座