Complete the text with suitable forms of the words in brackets. Use present perfect or past simple. In one place, both are possible.

Electric cars - Latest update

A small American car manufacturer …………………….(just announce) that its experimental electric car, the Lexington X1, will go into production this year. Markton Automobiles, of Detroit, Michigan, ........................ (make) the announcement at last month's Auto Show in Geneva .

Although there are now many electric cars on the market, so far manufacturers

.............................. (not be) able to produce one that can really compete with existing petrol cars . There are two major problems - speed and distance. Up until now, electric cars............................. (be) either too slow or unable to travel far enough without recharging

their batteries. Markton Automobiles claim that they .......................... (overcome) these difficulties with a new type of solar panel which continually recharges the batteries . The company …......................... (not give) the press exact details yet, but they claim they

............................... (already test) the car successfully under all kinds of weather conditions.

A Japanese company .............................. (first design) the engine in 2007. But over the last few years Markton ............................. (adapt) the design and increased its power.

The company .............................. (invite) ten journalists to test-drive the new car last week.

Their reports …......................... (be) mainly positive, although we will have to wait for the full test results before we know if this really is the electric car that everyone is waiting for.