Biden Visits Car Factory to Push Electric Vehicles
2021-11-19
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1President Joe Biden visited an auto factory in Detroit, Michigan, earlier this week to bring attention to the push for electric vehicles.
2Old auto factories in the United States have to be updated in order to build cars with electric motors and parts needed for the change.
3Biden supports legislation that increases government spending in many areas in the U.S. called the Build Back Better Act.
4Currently, it includes billions of dollars to help renovate old factories and aid the communities that grew up around them.
5The proposed bill includes $3.5 billion to change the old factories to build electric and fuel cell vehicles.
6There is $3 billion for an auto loan program that should help people buy new electric cars.
7There also is a plan to have government agencies buy electric cars.
8The total cost of all the proposals might be $50 billion.
9Biden went to a factory known as "Factory Zero" on Wednesday.
10It is operated by automaker General Motors, GM, which opened it 1985.
11It will be the company's first to be updated to make electric cars.
12There are 21 GM factories in the United States.
13Gerald Johnson is the head of global manufacturing for GM.
14Johnson said the factory is flexible, meaning it will be able to change based on markets, laws and spending.
15If Americans start buying more electric cars, Johnson said, GM wants to be prepared.
16He said GM is planning to make more electric cars no matter what happens in Congress.
17"It does not change what we are doing," he said.
18Biden looked at the first Hummer electric vehicles during his visit to the factory.
19Hummers are based on military vehicles and cost over $100,000.
20They sold well in the past but use a lot of fuel.
21By 2025, GM wants 20 percent of its cars to be electric.
22Five years later, the company wants that number to reach 50 percent.
23GM will be competing with companies like Tesla.
24In 2020, Tesla, started by businessman Elon Musk, had 80 percent of the electric vehicle market in the U.S. Tesla's main production center is in Texas.
25Mike Tracy heads a company that studies manufacturing.
26He said GM is trying to enter the electric vehicle market and keep workers in their jobs.
27Beginning-level GM factory workers earn about $56,000 per year.
28That is more than at Tesla.
29As the electric vehicle market grows, Johnson said, the 21 factories in the U.S. will help the company grow.
30GM said it can save up to $15 billion by 2030 by renovating the old factories instead of building new ones in other states.
31He called having many existing factories "an asset, not an anchor."
32In a speech, Biden said: "We're going to make sure the jobs of the future end up in Michigan, not halfway around the world."
33I'm Dan Friedell.
1President Joe Biden visited an auto factory in Detroit, Michigan, earlier this week to bring attention to the push for electric vehicles. 2Old auto factories in the United States have to be updated in order to build cars with electric motors and parts needed for the change. 3Biden supports legislation that increases government spending in many areas in the U.S. called the Build Back Better Act. Currently, it includes billions of dollars to help renovate old factories and aid the communities that grew up around them. 4The proposed bill includes $3.5 billion to change the old factories to build electric and fuel cell vehicles. There is $3 billion for an auto loan program that should help people buy new electric cars. There also is a plan to have government agencies buy electric cars. The total cost of all the proposals might be $50 billion. 5Biden went to a factory known as "Factory Zero" on Wednesday. It is operated by automaker General Motors, GM, which opened it 1985. It will be the company's first to be updated to make electric cars. There are 21 GM factories in the United States. 6Gerald Johnson is the head of global manufacturing for GM. Johnson said the factory is flexible, meaning it will be able to change based on markets, laws and spending. 7If Americans start buying more electric cars, Johnson said, GM wants to be prepared. He said GM is planning to make more electric cars no matter what happens in Congress. "It does not change what we are doing," he said. 8Biden looked at the first Hummer electric vehicles during his visit to the factory. Hummers are based on military vehicles and cost over $100,000. They sold well in the past but use a lot of fuel. By 2025, GM wants 20 percent of its cars to be electric. Five years later, the company wants that number to reach 50 percent. 9GM will be competing with companies like Tesla. In 2020, Tesla, started by businessman Elon Musk, had 80 percent of the electric vehicle market in the U.S. Tesla's main production center is in Texas. 10Mike Tracy heads a company that studies manufacturing. He said GM is trying to enter the electric vehicle market and keep workers in their jobs. 11Beginning-level GM factory workers earn about $56,000 per year. That is more than at Tesla. As the electric vehicle market grows, Johnson said, the 21 factories in the U.S. will help the company grow. 12GM said it can save up to $15 billion by 2030 by renovating the old factories instead of building new ones in other states. He called having many existing factories "an asset, not an anchor." 13In a speech, Biden said: "We're going to make sure the jobs of the future end up in Michigan, not halfway around the world." 14I'm Dan Friedell. 15Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by Reuters. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 16What would have to happen for you to buy an American-made electric car? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. 17__________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19renovate - v. to make changes and repairs to (an old house, building, room, etc.) so that it is back in good condition 20global - adj. involving the entire world 21asset - n. something of value 22anchor - n. a heavy device on a boat or ship held by a rope or chain that is thrown into the water to hold the boat or ship in place; a person or thing that provides strength and support