2023届高考英语三轮复习·冲刺押题·外刊阅读理解训练 (25)

2023届高考英语三轮复习·冲刺押题 外刊阅读理解训练25 ——改编自Carmakers’ latest Brexit angst highlights risk of UK falling behind EV battery race 【文章】（偏难） The electric vehicle industry is likely to face significant difficulties in the UK and Europe following a post-Brexit production agreement. By 2024, batteries for electric vehicles must source 60% of their value from within the UK or EU to qualify for tariff-free trade. The threshold will rise again in 2027. These requirements were introduced to encourage the development of a European battery industry; however, that hasn't happened to the extent required to enable automotive manufacturers to meet the rules. Carmakers on both sides of the Channel have stated that it's necessary to extend the 2024 deadline; otherwise, the situation could be absurd, with electric vehicles subjected to tariffs while petrol vehicles are not. Sam Lowe of Flint Global said there are different constituencies with different priorities and noted that the battery and chemicals sectors stand to benefit from onshoring. Although the UK government has raised the issue with the EU, this latest wrangling should highlight the lack of effective planning around UK battery production and supply chains. The country is at risk of becoming a "bystander in the global battery arms race," according to Simon Moores of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, while the US and EU are aggressively securing the critical minerals required for batteries, refining, processing, and chemical plants to produce them. Currently, this supply chain is dominated by China, accounting for over 70% of the global market share in most stages. Europe has approximately 30 gigafactories in the pipeline, but the UK only has one (or possibly two). According to Faraday, more than half of UK demand would come from private cars, requiring up to ten new gigafactories by 2040, each with a capacity of 20GWh, compared to the UK's current total capacity of 2GWh. Despite failing to strike deals with established Asian battery