The World’s Most Impressive Subways

The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines that compose Tokyo’s massive subway system carry almost 8 million people each day, making it the busiest system in the world. The system is famous for its oshiya—literally, “pusher”—who pushes passengers into crowded subway cars so the doors can. close. And you think your ride is hell.

The Moscow Metro has some of the most beautiful stations in the world. The best of them were built during the Stalinist era and feature beautiful lamps, marble moldings (大理石装饰) and fantastic wall paintings. With more than 7 million riders a day, keeping all that marble clean has got to be a burden.

The Hong Kong MTR has the distinction of being one of the few subway systems in the world that actually turns a profit. It’s privately owned and uses real estate (房地产) development along its tracks to increase income and ridership. It also introduced “Octopus cards” that allow people to not only pay their fares electronically, but buy things at convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants and even parking meters. It’s estimated that 95% of all adults in Hong Kong own an Octopus card.

Shanghai is the third city in China to build a metro system, and it has become the country’s largest in the 12 years since it opened. Shanghai Metro has 142 miles of track and plans to add another 180 miles within five years. By that point, it would be three times larger than Chicago “L”. The system carries about 2. 18 million people a day.

Londoners call their subway the Underground, even though 55 percent of it lies above ground. No matter when you access the oldest public transportation system in the world, you can call it anything you like. Trains started in 1863 and they’ve been running ever since. Some 3 million people ride each day, every one of them remembering to “Mind the gap”.

Sales of electric vehicles（EVs）grew by 40 percent last year worldwide. In the US, nearly a third of drivers want their next car to be electric. Almost 100 pure-electric vehicles are set to be launched by the end of 2024. Many manufacturers, including GM, Jeep, and Volvo, have promised to offer fully electric lists before this decade is done.

Though some EVs are still eye-wateringly expensive, plenty of other EVs are even more affordable. When assessing the cost of an EV, keep in mind that many states offer additional buying payment if you're switching to an electric vehicle. Some models will even qualify you for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. Then there are the long-term savings. A typical EV owner spends less than a traditional car owner on vehicle services. One reason is that EVs don't have transmissions or clutches, two of the costliest parts to repair.

EVs go without the classic vroom（加速时发出的呜呜声）we expect to hear when we floor it. That quietness can catch pedestrians off guard and strikes some drivers as terrible. That's why several electric automakers have turned to sound designers to copy these desired engine noises.

You can run an electric car through a car wash without worry. The water will not damage any of the electrical components or the battery because these systems are specially sealed to prevent water entry. What you do need to watch out for, however, is extreme cold or heat. Both will affect the battery and reduce an EV's range.

While EVs produce far fewer emissions than conventional cars do, they aren't without environmental influence. Coal is still burned to create the electricity that charges them. And EV production is emission intensive（密集排放型）. So power systems need to become carbon-free and EV batteries need to fully become recyclable before EVs can be truly emission-free.