CRI听力:UK Government Promotes Electric Cars

By announcing a 57-million US dollar extension of its current programme, the UK is signaling that it wants to make electric cars a mainstream option for car buyers.

The money will go towards four areas, with proposals like building street lights that double as charging points, more free car parking spaces, and free use of bus lanes.

Prospective buyer Sarah Wilkinson is interested enough to have a test drive. She says there are environmental reasons behind her decision.

"I think really the environment, I think it's the way forward for cars generally and the price, not to have to fill up at a petrol station, just to plug it in on my drive and go. It's brilliant."

They're attractive to some because of the availability of free car parking spaces with plug in points.

"I go out, so the first thing that's on my mind is, you know, you've got to pay for the parking as well. So if I have an electric car and I don't have to pay for the parking as well, or somewhere I can find free parking, that would actually encourage me."

The UK Department of Transport says Britain is a world leader in the uptake of low emission vehicles. It's aiming for every new car and van in the UK to be ultra-low emission by 2040.

However, with some car models needing to be charged around every 85 miles, many drivers remain unconvinced. Some critics claim the investment is a waste of public money while cuts are being made to other budgets.

Jonathan Isaby is from the Taxpayers' Alliance.

"The government at the moment is spending way beyond its means, it hasn't balanced the nation's books, the money is simply not there to fund extravagant schemes which are frankly vanity projects aimed at a very small number of people who've chosen to buy a very expensive vehicle,"

The UK government anticipates five percent of new car registrations, or around 100,000 units, will be ultra low emission by 2020.

In 2015, sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles rose by 40 percent from the previous year to nearly 73,000.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.