This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Ready, Set, Charge!

This may look like an ordinary sports car, but there's something shockingly different about it. No gas tank! Instead, it runs on a big battery, stashed under the car.

This month the General Motors Company announced it would begin selling these battery-powered cars in the fall. The EV1 is the first electric car designed from scratch and sold by a major automobile company.

The EV1 runs on a heavy, T-shaped battery about 18 inches long and 4 1/2 inches wide. Because the car doesn't use gasoline, it does not pollute the air.

But the EV1 has the same disadvantage as any battery-powered toy: the battery runs out. After about 70 miles of driving, the car's battery must be recharged by connecting it to a special recharging unit. And recharging is not as convenient as stopping for gas: it takes three whole hours.

Even so, carmakers expect electric cars will gradually improve and become popular. GM will start selling the EV1 in California and Arizona for about $35,000, and is planning an electric pickup truck. Chrysler and Ford plan to plug into the electric-car market in 1997."]

Next: Japan Gets A New Leader