If you ask anyone what the future of cars looks like, 假如你问别人未来的车是什么样的 they’ll probably tell you it’s electric 他们很可能会说是电动的 and that Tesla is at the forefront of the movement. 毕竟特斯拉正走在这个变革的前沿 But what if I told you that there’s another option 但如果我告诉你还有其他 that could be just as good or even better than battery-electric vehicles? 与纯电动汽车相当甚至更好的选择呢？ What if you could power cars with the most abundant resource in the universe 如果你能用宇宙中最丰富的资源驱动汽车 with water as the only byproduct? 而最终的副产物只有水呢？ And they’re more likely to disrupt the auto industry 相比像特斯拉这样的纯电动汽车 than battery-powered cars, like Teslas. 它们更有可能颠覆整个汽车产业 Why hydrogen cars will be Tesla’s biggest threat 为什么氢能汽车会成为特斯拉的头号劲敌 Hydrogen fuel cells have been a technology of great promise 氢燃料电池是一项前景广阔的技术 as well as great skepticism. 但也受到了许多质疑 Elon Musk himself often mocks hydrogen fuel cell technology, 伊隆·马斯克经常嘲笑氢燃料电池技术 going so far as to call them “fool cells” 甚至称它们是“傻瓜电池” and “mind-bogglingly stupid.” “愚蠢至极” But major automakers still see promise. 但许多汽车制造商仍看到了希望 First, let’s define the terms. 首先 我们定义一下术语 Battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, 纯电动汽车 或者说BEV are the electric vehicles that most of us are familiar with today, like Teslas. 是指如今广为熟知的电动汽车 例如特斯拉 They use a battery to store electricity and power the electric motor. 它们使用电池储存电能 从而驱动电动机 A hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, or FCEV, 氢燃料电池汽车 或者说FCEV like Toyota’s Mirai, 比如丰田的Mirai combines hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, 它通过氢氧的结合来产生电能 which then powers the electric motor that drives the car. 然后驱动电动机 带动汽车前行 Now, when it comes to why people don’t buy battery-electric vehicles like Teslas, 说到人们为什么不买像特斯拉一样的纯电动汽车 there are three main reasons: 主要有三个原因 They take too long to recharge, 它们充电太久了 they have a limited range before they need to be recharged, 充一次电的情况下 它们的续航能力有限 and they cost a lot more than your comparable gas-powered car. 相比于同性能的汽油车 它们的价格更贵 So, how do hydrogen cars stack up in these areas? 那么氢能汽车如何在这些方面竞争呢 When it comes to recharging, 充能方面 hydrogen cars have battery-electrics beat. 氢能汽车有着绝对优势 At a supercharging station, 在超级充电站 a Tesla can charge anywhere from 30% to 50% in 15 minutes, 一辆特斯拉能在15分钟内充30-50%的电 but you’ll be at the charging station for over an hour for a full charge. 但要充满的话就得在充电站呆1个多小时 Fuel-cell vehicles don’t require charging at all. 燃料电池汽车根本不需要充电 The hydrogen tank is refilled at a hydrogen station in less than five minutes, 在加氢站 氢气罐5分钟之内就能加满 just like your typical gas station today. 就像现在普通的加油站 That’s because FCEVs don’t store electricity like a battery; 这是因为氢燃料电池汽车不像电池一样储存电能 they create it on demand to power the motor. 它们按需产能来驱动发动机 When it comes to range, 续航方面 hydrogen-powered cars seem to come out on top again. 氢能汽车似乎也是最好的 Between the three fuel-cell vehicles on the road today, 已经上路的三种燃料电池汽车 they have a range of 312, 360, and 380 miles. 续航里程分别为310 360 380英里 Most electric vehicles have a range under 250 miles. 大多数电动汽车的续航里程都低于250英里 While some Tesla models offer a range 而特斯拉有些车型能达到 of more than 300 miles, 300多英里的续航里程 they often cost more than the average car buyer can afford. 但其价格往往高于一般人的预算 Range and refueling times are so important 续航能力和充能时间非常重要 that 78% of automotive executives believe 78%的汽车业高管相信 fuel-cell vehicles will be the breakthrough for electric mobility. 燃料电池汽车将成为电动汽车产业的先锋 But that’s not to say fuel-cell vehicles don’t have challenges of their own. 但这并不是说燃料电池汽车没有缺陷 FCEVs need more competitive pricing. 氢燃料电池汽车的价格需要更具竞争力 The suggested retail price for the fuel-cell vehicles available today is around $60,000, 现在燃料电池汽车的建议零售价大概是60000美元 which is about $20,000 more than an entry-level BEV. 比入门级的纯电动汽车贵了大约20000美元 That’s because production size of these vehicles is incredibly low. 因为这些汽车的生产规模非常小 With only a few thousand or few hundred being made every year, 每年只能生产几千甚至几百辆车 it’s nearly impossible for prices to be competitive. 要使价格更具竞争力几乎不可能 But that could soon be changing. 但这个事实即将改变 Automakers are looking to increase the production of their FCEVs. 汽车厂商正在计划扩大氢燃料电池汽车的生产规模 Toyota in particular has increased its production capabilities tenfold 特别是丰田 为了最终能够降低Mirai的价格 to eventually bring down the cost of its Mirai. 他们已经将生产规模扩大了10倍 The real challenge for hydrogen fuel cells is the lack of infrastructure. 氢燃料电池汽车面临的真正挑战是配套设施的缺乏 In the US, the majority of hydrogen stations are in California, 在美国 大多数加氢站都位于加利福尼亚 with just over 40 available to fuel-cell owners. 且只有40多座可供氢能汽车车主使用 For FCEVs to become the breakthrough that automotive executives believe in, 为了让氢燃料电池汽车成为汽车高管们希望的先锋 a vast network for hydrogen stations is vital. 建立一个庞大的加氢站网络至关重要 And automakers are slowly working to make it happen. 汽车厂商正逐步努力实现这个目标 Jackie Birdsall: We do get to work together with the other automakers, 我们确实在和其他汽车厂商合作 as well as with, you know, here in California, 以及和加利福尼亚这儿的 the state of California and the industrial gas suppliers, 加利福尼亚政府 工业燃气供应商 or whomever the energy provider is, 还有其他能源供应商合作 to be able to site hydrogen stations 把加氢站建在 where it makes the most sense for all of the automakers’ vehicles. 对所有氢能汽车厂商都合理的位置上 And so