Read the article and choose the best answers. 1. What is the aim of this article? 2. Why did people think electric cars would be good? 3. Why isn't the price of electric cars a…

Read the article and choose the best answers. 1. What is the aim of this article? 2. Why did people think electric cars would be good? 3. Why isn't the price of electric cars a problem? 4. What's the main problem with electric cars? 5. Why do people prefer hybrid cars to electric cars? Y A few years ago everyone was talking about the new electric cars. These cars were cleaner and quieter and they were going to be the answer to our pollution problems. So, where are they? Why aren't our roads full of electric cars? Why are we still sending out huge amounts of pollution into the atmosphere and using oil faster than the oil companies can produce it? There are several reasons. It's not because the cars aren't for sale. They are available. There are many different models and every year another, newer type of electric car is designed. Last year, more than ten new models of electric car were introduced. And it isn't because of the price. Although many of the faster, sporty-looking models are expensive — for example, the new Tesla costs 130,000 dollars - there are plenty of cheaper types for sale. So, what is the reason? Experts say that it's mainly because electric cars can't travel very far before we need to charge their batteries and there aren't enough charging points at the moment. People worry about not having enough electricity to get to their destination. It seems that the people who have bought electric cars use them as a second car, not their main one. They drive them around town and cities but they don't want to go too far in them. People need a car that is reliable. They won't buy an electric car to use regularly until they're sure it won't stop suddenly on their way to work or somewhere important. While electric cars may still be the car of the future, there is an alternative for today. The hybrid car - a car that can switch from petrol to electricity — is more popular. People are buying them because they can drive further without having to charge their cars. The main problem is the cost, but they are already cheaper than all electric cars. It's obviously not quite as good for the environment as the electric car, but it shows that people are concerned and trying to do something about their carbon footprint.