????從理論上說，我確實對電動汽車情有獨鐘。比起傳統的燃油車，這類車排放溫室氣體更少，保養也更容易。而且它的駕駛成本也更低：驅動一輛車所需的電力，僅相當于一加侖燃油只需花費1美元左右。

????因此，我激動不已地駕著一輛全新的福特福特斯電動車（Focus Electric）從曼哈頓（Manhattan）出發了。這輛車現在僅在特選市場有售。這輛四門掀背式轎車通體為磨砂綠，造型俊朗，前格柵讓人想起福特汽車（Ford）一度擁有的阿斯頓?馬丁（Aston Martin）的前臉。這款福克斯與傳統的燃油驅動車型唯一的不同之處在于，車前門的下緣鑲有凸起的金屬字“電動”。

????不過，隨后而來的實際駕車體驗就讓人有點頗受打擊了。當我駛出位于第55西大街的車庫，朝我位于威斯特郡的家中駛去時，我看了一眼可行駛里程表，上面顯示：鋰電池所剩電量夠我跑50英里——對這趟不過20英里的路程來說可謂綽綽有余（這款車充滿電后可行駛76英里）。但當真正開起來后，隨著我駕駛習慣的變化，里程表上的數字也在不斷變化。它一度跌到了38英里，隨后又回升到42英里，接著再跌到35英里。我到底能開多少英里呢？不得而知。當晚，我開著這車去電影院看《南蠻之地的野獸》（Beasts of the Southern Wild）。當我駛入停車場時，里程表顯示只剩下15英里可讓我開回家了。這也夠了，但還是讓人有點七上八下。所以我查了查GPS，看看最近的充電站在哪兒。我是想，如果看電影時這車能充上電該多好。結果顯示，充電站足有10英里遠，還得跨過新澤西州的一條河，更別提還得付塔潘澤橋（Tappan Zee Bridge）的5美元過橋費。

????全美的充電站數量正在增加——尤其是在加州——但是對東北部的人來說，充電站似乎還少得可憐。除非每天的通勤里程在預計范圍內，也不太遠，否則這款福克斯就不會是你心儀的選擇。只有當它的行駛里程大幅增加，或者新建了更多充電站后，人們才會中意于它。

????平心而論，這款電動版福克斯駕駛樂趣出眾。它的電動機足有123匹馬力，足以搭載5名乘客，最高時速可達到每小時84英里，提速性能出色，不論是停車起步，還是駛入高速，都是如此——這就是工程師所謂的直線扭矩。它還擁有一大優勢，即車主能買一臺備選的家庭充電裝置，它能在4小時內充滿電，這個速度幾乎是日產聆風（Nissan Leaf）充電時間的兩倍。

????它的操控富有動感，座艙十分安靜，完全沒有內燃機那種低吼聲。開車時能聽到的聲音只有車輪飛駛過高速公路路面的嘶嘶聲。這種靜音使車載索尼音響那動人的樂聲更為迷人。我所調校的座椅模式非常舒適。車的外觀和材質也讓人印象深刻。

????然后，我們該說說價格了。這款福克斯售價為39,000美元，即使減掉7,500美元的聯邦優惠補貼，這款車還是所費不菲。畢竟它燃油版的兄弟車型起價僅為16,995美元。有些州，比如加州，會給予更大幅度的優惠補貼。而我所在的紐約州則不提供補貼。絕大多數額外成本都來自電池。好消息是，電池的售價一直在下降，行駛里程則一直在增長。等到哪天這兩方面都令人滿意了，買福克斯的請算上我一個吧。

????譯者：清遠

????In theory, I really like electric cars. They emit less greenhouse gas than traditional models and are easier to maintain. Electrics cost less to operate: The electricity to run one is the equivalent of paying about $1 or so a gallon for gas.

????So I was excited to head off from Manhattan in the new Ford Focus Electric, which is now available in selected markets. The frosty-green, four-door hatchback is handsome, with a front grille that evokes Aston Martin, which Ford used to own. The only indication that this Focus is different from a normal gas-driven one is the word "Electric" in raised metal type running along the bottom of the front doors.

????And then reality hit. As I pulled out of the garage on West 55th street and headed toward my house in Westchester County, I looked at the range gauge and saw that I had 50 miles left on the lithium ion battery -- plenty of juice to make the 20-mile trip. (The Focus's range when fully charged is 76 miles.) But as I drove, the mileage gauge kept changing in response to my driving habits. At one point it was down to 38, but then bounced back up to 42 but then down again to 35. How many miles did I really have? I didn't know. That night, I drove to the movies to seeBeasts of the Southern Wild, and when I entered the parking lot I had about 15 miles left to make it home. Enough, but it was still a little nervous-making. So I checked my GPS for the closest charging station thinking it would be great if the car could recharge during the film. It turned out to be 10 miles away, across the river in New Jersey, not to mention the $5 toll on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

????The number of charging stations in the nation is rising -- especially in California --but for electric drivers in the Northeast, the choices seem to be few and far between. Unless you have a predictable, short daily commute, the Focus isn't for you until the range increases or more charging stations are installed.

????That said, the Ford Focus Electric is fun to drive. The 123 horsepower electric motor, ample for this five-passenger car, gives it a top speed of 84 miles per hour and great pick-up not only from a standing stop but passing on the highway as well -- what the engineers call straight-line torque. One real advantage of the Focus is that you can buy an optional home charging system that will charge the car in four hours, about twice as fast as the all-electric Nissan Leaf.

????The handling is sporty, and the cabin quiet and notably lacks that combustion engine growl. All one hears are the wheels whooshing along the highway. The quiet enhances the music coming from the impressive Sony sound system. The cloth seats in my model are comfortable. The fit and finish were impressive too.

????Then there's the price. The Focus sells for $39,000 and even after the $7,500 federal rebate, that's still a lot to pay for a car whose gasoline-driven cousin starts at $16,995. Some states like California will throw in a bit more in rebates. New York, where I live, doesn't offer a subsidy. Much of that extra cost is for the battery. The good news is that battery prices are coming down and range is increasing. When that day comes, sign me up for a Focus.