Automakers, Airlines Hit by Sky-High Fuel Prices

Automakers, Airlines Hit by Sky-High Fuel Prices
General Motors will close four truck factories and move to make more cars. Also, airlines are retiring older planes and cutting flights and jobs. Transcript of radio broadcast:
05 June 2008

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

There was more evidence this week of the effects of high oil prices on the transportation industry.

Automakers reported further drops in sales of trucks and SUVs, sport utility vehicles, in the United States. Big, fuel-hungry vehicles brought in big profits -- until Americans faced big costs for fuel. Now they want smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.

The head of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, says the prices are changing consumer behavior, maybe permanently. G.M. sales in the United States in May dropped thirty percent from last year. The Ford Motor Company had a nineteen percent drop.

Toyota sales in the United States were down eight percent. But another Japanese maker, Honda, reported an eleven percent increase on strong sales of cars.


General Motors announced it will close four truck factories in North America and expand car production. It may also sell its Hummer division. Hummers are military-like vehicles.
But Rick Wagoner said G.M. will go forward with plans to make the Chevy Volt, a car powered mainly by electricity. He says it will be available no later than the end of two thousand ten.

Still, new findings show that Americans are driving less. The Federal Highway Administration says the number of kilometers traveled on public roads has dropped since late two thousand six.

Many people may be driving less because of high gasoline prices. But transportation officials worry that less demand for gasoline will mean shortages of money from fuel taxes that support roads.

Use of public transportation, though, is up. The American Public Transportation Association says it increased three percent in the first three months of this year over last year.

High fuel prices are also affecting air travel. The International Air Transport Association expects the industry to lose at least two billion dollars this year, mainly because of prices for jet fuel.

This week, more air carriers in the United States announced plans to cut flights and jobs and remove older, less fuel-efficient planes from service. Continental Airlines said record-high fuel prices have produced the worst crisis for the industry since the terrorist attacks of two thousand one.

Continental announced Thursday that it will reduce flights in the United States by sixteen percent during the last three months of the year. The airline will cut three thousand jobs, about seven percent of its positions worldwide.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

----------------------------Google Translate

汽车制造商，航空公司受高企的燃油价格
通用汽车将关闭4卡车工厂及动议，使更多的汽车。此外，航空公司是退休老年人的飞机和削减航班和就业机会。全文电台广播：
2008年6月5日

这是美国之音特别英语经济学报告。

有更多的证据，在这一周的影响，高油价对运输业。

汽车制造商报告进一步下降，销售的卡车和多用途运动车，运动休旅车，在美国。大，燃料饥饿的车辆带来了很大的利润-直到美国人所面临的大成本，燃油。现在他们希望更小，更省油的汽车。

主管通用汽车公司，瓦格纳说，价格正在改变消费者的行为，也许永远。 g.m.在美国市场的销售在5月下降了30 ％ ，从去年。福特汽车公司进行了19 ％下降。

丰田汽车在美国市场的销售下降了8 ％ 。但另一家日本制造商，本田，报一11 ％的增长的强劲销售汽车。


通用汽车公司宣布，它将关闭4卡车工厂，在北美和扩大汽车生产。它也可能出售其悍马记名表决。 hummers是军人般的车辆。
但瓦格纳说， g.m.会往前走的计划，使雪佛兰伏，一辆汽车动力主要是由电力。他说，这将可最迟不超过年底， 2000 10 。

不过，新研究结果显示，美国人正在驾车的少。联邦公路管理局说，有多少公里，行程在公用道路上已降至下旬以来， 2000 6 。

很多人可能驾驶少，因为高昂的汽油价格。但交通官员担心，少汽油需求将意味着短缺的钱，燃油税，支持的道路。

使用公共交通工具，虽然，到了。美国公共运输协会说，它增长3 ％ ，在首3个月，今年较去年。

高燃油价格也影响到空中旅行。国际航空运输协会预计，该行业失去了至少20.0亿美元，今年，这主要是因为价格喷气燃料。

这个星期，更多的航空公司在美国宣布计划削减航班和就业机会并消除老年人，降低油耗，高效的飞机从服务。大陆航空公司说，创纪录的高燃料价格产生了最严重的危机，为业界以来的恐怖袭击2000 1 。

大陆宣布周四，这将减少航班在美国的16 ％ ，在过去3个月的一年。该航空公司将削减3000职位中，约有七％的立场全世界。

这是该美国之音特别英语经济学的报告，书面，由马里奥里特尔。我史蒂夫ember 。