本篇文章共分 A-G 6 大段 (為配合題目出題，有些大段中包含 2 個小段)，從自駕車輛的發展動機、目前成績、對生產消費以及社會的影響，逐步說明這項能夠帶來安全便利的科技新發展對製造與使用者的意義，並展望未來的可能的變化。

本篇考題英文原文與對應之中文翻譯整理如下。練習作答解題時若有對語意不清楚之處，請仔細查閱對照，以提升閱讀理解能力。

Driverless Cars 無人駕駛車輛

1. 自動化汽車的新發展

   The automotive sector is well used to adapting to automation in manufacturing. The implementation of robotic car manufacture from the 1970s onwards led to significant cost savings and improvements in the reliability and flexibility of vehicle mass production. A new challenge to vehicle production is now on the horizon and, again, it comes from automation. However, this time it is not to do with the manufacturing process, but with the vehicles themselves.

   Research projects on vehicle automation are not new. Vehicles with limited self-driving capabilities have been around for more than 50 years, resulting in significant contributions towards driver assistance systems. But since Google announced in 2010 that it had been trialling self-driving cars on the streets of California, progress in this field has quickly gathered pace.

   汽車業已經很習慣於適應製造業的自動化。從 20 世紀 70 年代起，機器人汽車製造的實施導致了顯著的成本節約和汽車大規模生產的可靠性和靈活性的改善。現在，對汽車生產的一項新挑戰即將到來，而且，它同樣來自自動化。然而，這一次不是與製造過程有關，而是與車輛本身有關。

   關於車輛自動化的研究計畫並不新鮮。具有有限自駕能力的車輛已經存在了 50 多年，為駕駛輔助系統做出了重大貢獻。但是，自從谷歌在 2010 年宣佈在加利福尼亞的街道上試驗自動駕駛汽車以來，這一領域的進展已經迅速加快。

2. 無人車輛的發展動機

   There are many reasons why technology is advancing so fast. One frequently cited motive is safety; indeed, research at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory has demonstrated that more than 90 percent of road collisions involve human error as a contributory factor, and it is the primary cause in the vast majority. Automation may help to reduce the incidence of this.

   Another aim is to free the time people spend driving for other purposes. If the vehicle can do some or all of the driving, it may be possible to be productive, to socialise or simply to relax while automation systems have responsibility for safe control of the vehicle. If the vehicle can do the driving, those who are challenged by existing mobility models – such as older or disabled travellers – may be able to enjoy significantly greater travel autonomy.

   技術發展如此之快，有許多原因。一個經常被引用的動機是安全；事實上，英國交通研究實驗室的研究表明，90% 以上的道路碰撞涉及人為錯誤的因素，而且是絕大多數的主要原因。自動化可能有助於減少這種情況的發生。

   另一個目的是釋放人們的駕駛時間使其能用於其他目的。如果車輛能夠完成部分或全部駕駛，那麼在自動化系統負責安全控制車輛的情況下，人們就有可能進行生產、社交或簡單的放鬆。如果車輛可以進行駕駛，那些受到現有機動模式阻礙的人—如老年或殘疾旅客—可能能夠享受到更大的旅行自主權。

3. 對社會的影響

   Beyond these direct benefits, we can consider the wider implications for transport and society, and how manufacturing processes might need to respond as a result. At present, the average car spends more than 90 percent of its life parked. Automation means that initiatives for car-sharing become much more viable, particularly in urban areas with significant travel demand. If a significant proportion of the population choose to use shared automated vehicles, mobility demand can be met by far fewer vehicles.

   除了這些直接的好處，我們可以考慮對運輸和社會的更廣泛影響，以及製造工藝可能需要因此而作出的反應。目前，平均每輛汽車 90% 以上的時間都是停放不動的。自動化意味著汽車共用的措施變得更加可行，特別是在有大量旅行需求的城市地區。如果很大一部分人選擇使用共用的自動駕駛汽車，那麼可以用更少的車輛來滿足交通需求。

4. 模型分析的結果

   The Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigated automated mobility in Singapore, finding that fewer than 30 percent of the vehicles currently used would be required if fully automated car sharing could be implemented. If this is the case, it might mean that we need to manufacture far fewer vehicles to meet demand. However, the number of trips being taken would probably increase, partly because empty vehicles would have to be moved from one customer to the next.

   Modelling work by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute suggests automated vehicles might reduce vehicle ownership by 43 percent, but that vehicles’ average annual mileage double as a result. As a consequence, each vehicle would be used more intensively, and might need replacing sooner. This faster rate of turnover may mean that vehicle production will not necessarily decrease

   麻省理工學院調查了新加坡的自動流動性，發現如果能夠實現全自動的汽車共享，那就只需要不到目前使用車輛的 30% 即可。如果是這樣的話，這可能意味著我們只需要製造比目前少很多的車輛即能滿足需求。然而，出行的次數可能會增加，部分原因是空車必須從一個客戶轉移到另一個客戶。

   密西根大學交通研究所的模型研究顯示，自動駕駛汽車可能會減少 43% 的車輛所有權，但車輛的年平均里程數會因此翻倍。因此，每輛車將被更密集地使用，並可能更快需要更換。這種更快的周轉率可能意味著汽車生產不一定會減少。

5. 汽車供給與生產變化

   Automation may prompt other changes in vehicle manufacture. If we move to a model where consumers are tending not to own a single vehicle but to purchase access to a range of vehicle through a mobility provider, drivers will have the freedom to select one that best suits their needs for a particular journey, rather than making a compromise across all their requirements.

   Since, for most of the time, most of the seats in most cars are unoccupied, this may boost production of a smaller, more efficient range of vehicles that suit the needs of individuals. Specialised vehicles may then be available for exceptional journeys, such as going on a family camping trip or helping a son or daughter move to university.

   自動化可能促使汽車製造的其他變化。如果我們轉向一種模式，消費者傾向於不擁有單一的車輛，而是通過移動性供應商購買一系列的車輛，司機將有自由選擇最適合他們特定旅程需要的車輛，而不是對他們的所有要求做出妥協。

   由於在大多數時間裡，大多數汽車的大部分座位都是空著的，這可能會促進生產更小、更有效的汽車，以滿足個人的需求。然後，專門的車輛可以用於特殊的旅行，如家庭野營旅行或幫助兒子或女兒上大學搬家。

6. 自駕車輛的可能障礙

   There are a number of hurdles to overcome in delivering automated vehicles to our roads. These include the technical difficulties in ensuring that the vehicle works reliably in the infinite range of traffic, weather and road situations it might encounter; the regulatory challenges in understanding how liability and enforcement might change when drivers are no longer essential for vehicle operation; and the societal changes that may be required for communities to trust and accept automated vehicles as being a valuable part of the mobility landscape.

   在為我們的道路提供自動駕駛車輛時，有許多障礙需要克服。其中包括確保車輛在可能遇到的各種交通、天氣和道路情況下可靠運行的技術困難；理解當司機不再是車輛運行的必要條件時，責任和執法可能發生變化的監管挑戰；以及讓社區信任和接受自動駕駛車輛作為交通狀況的重要一部分可能需要的社會改變。

7. 未來展望

   It’s clear that there are many challenges that need to be addressed but, through robust and targeted research, these can most probably be conquered within the next 10 years. Mobility will change in such potentially significant ways and in association with so many other technological developments, such as telepresence and virtual reality, that it is hard to make concrete predictions about the future. However, one thing is certain: change is coming, and the need to be flexible in response to this will be vital for those involved in manufacturing the vehicles that will deliver future mobility.

   很明顯的，有許多挑戰需要解決，但通過堅實且目標明確的研究，這些挑戰很可能在未來 10 年內被攻克。移動性將以這種潛在的重大方式發生變化，並與許多其他技術發展相聯繫，如遠端呈現和虛擬實境，因此很難對未來做出具體預測。然而，有一件事是肯定的：改變正在到來，對那些參與製造將提供未來流動性的車輛的人來說，需要靈活應對。