Ford is showing its first all-electric sport utility vehicle, or SUV—the Mustang Mach-E, marking a major change in the U. S. car industry. The new Mustang can travel between 370 and 480 kilometers before needing an electrical charge.

There are 18 electric vehicle models for sale in the U. S. The research group IHS Markit expects that number to grow to 80 by 2022. New vehicles will include pickup trucks and SUVs that are popular with American buyers.

Last year, electric vehicles made up only 1.5 percent of new vehicle sales worldwide. Auto Industry research company LMC Automotive predicts that will rise to 2.2 percent this year. In the U.S., electric vehicles were only 1.2 percent of sales in 2018. It is expected to be the same this year. Automakers, however, see room for growth. They note that electric vehicles are getting 250 miles or more on a single charge. That means a buyer no longer needs to worry about running out of power during a day’s usual drive. Because of the added models and increased power, LMC predicts that they will make up 17 percent of worldwide sales and 7 percent of U.S. sales in 2030.

The first-generation of electric vehicles were simply existing models that were changed to be electric to meet government fuel economy rules. They did not sell well largely because they could not travel more than 100 miles between charges. But now, many can go farther than the average one-day driving distance. The five-passenger Mach-E looks like a traditional Mustang. Engineers say the least costly model will be able to travel about 370 kilometers on one charge. The most costly model will be able to travel 483 kilometers.

Some experts say the Mustang Mach-E marks the start of an increase in electric vehicles offered by top U. S. carmakers. However, some are not so positive. Stephanie Brinley, an auto expert for IHS Markit, said electric vehicle choices may expand before demand. “There is likely to be a period where the number of choices will increase faster than demand and sales for each will be low,” she said.

With vehicles flooding in, roads around the world get more and more crowded. Some of the brightest engineers and industries are racing to make science-fiction flying taxis a reality. In recent years, eVTOL, a new type of flying taxi takes technology a further step. As the name suggests, these electric flying taxis take off and land vertically(垂直地), like helicopters, which make their airports take up as little space as possible in cities.

The eVTOL paves the way for environment-friendly transport. It is powered by batteries and produces zero carbon emissions(碳排放). The mass use of eVTOL will lower air pollution in cities. If recharged from a renewable source of electricity, it is a lot cheaper to run. Some may be concerned about its speed. In fact, it can reach speeds of 150 to 200 miles an hour flying at a height of 1, 000 and 2, 000 feet, which is something cars can never achieve. You can board a flying taxi and move ahead to your destination in a matter of minutes! And there is another difference from a traditional taxi: silence. As the electric flying taxi flies overhead, it is surprisingly quiet.

On November 10, 2022, the first vertiport for eVTOL, managed by Groupe ADP, opened in Paris. It plans to serve for the 2024 Paris Olympics. By then the company plans for at least two routes to be operating in the city, with a total of ten air taxis, each flying two or three trips an hour. These will link the Olympic Village with traditional airports and a medical centre. “By the end of 2030, it is not only Paris’s terrible traffic that could be avoided from above, but the jammed roads of several other cities, too, ”says Dirk Hoke, director of the Sustainable Development and Real Estate Director RATP Group.

Flying has shrunk the world! It’s now possible to travel around the globe quickly and easily. Jumping on a plane and jetting off on holiday or a business trip is the norm for many of us, and with the rise of budget airlines, the number of people taking to the skies is increasing. But while air travel is costing us less, the cost to the environment is going up.

Climate change is something we’re all aware of now, and aviation companies know that some of the blame for this is being pointed at them. Last year airlines were forecasted to use about 97bn gallons of jet fuel.

But while we could think twice about taking a flight in the first place, particularly a short trip that could be made by train, technology might be the answer to reducing emissions and minimising the environmental damage.

Recent developments have focused on reducing the amount of fuel airliners(大型客机) burn. Making flying green and sustainable was the hot topic at the recent Dubai Air Show. There was talk of advances in engine technology, making them more efficient, and possibly using biofuel to power aircraft.

Rios Galvan, a bioenergy expert and professor at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, told the BBC that “these have the capacity to reduce the carbon footprint anywhere between 50-80 percent when you compare them to fuels.”

And Phil Curnock, chief engineer of the civil future programme at Rolls-Royce, also suggested that electric hybrid engines (混合动力发动机) could play a part for smaller aircraft, covering shorter distances. He says “it offers the possibility of a carbon-neutral flight for a limited range.”

Of course, aircraft manufacturers are constantly looking at ways to make their planes more fuel efficient. Boeing’s Dreamliner, for example, is already in operation and uses 25 percent less fuel per passenger compared with aircraft of a similar size. Other improvements include better aircraft aerodynamics (空气动力学), changes to ways aircraft taxi (滑行) on runways, and the use of lighter materials.