Automobiles are powered by internal combustion engines, either gasoline or diesel fuel. These vehicles have many uses and benefits, including getting people to work and school, running errands, and getting people to events such as weddings and funerals. Automobiles can be driven on roads or on trails and may be used to haul goods. Some examples of vehicles include trucks, passenger cars, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The term “automobile” is derived from the French words for self and motion.
Automobiles have come a long way since the first one was patented in 1883 by Edouard Delamare-Deboutteville and Leon Malandin of France. Their vehicle consisted of a liquid-fueled engine mounted on an old tricycle. It exploded during its first test, literally “shaking itself to pieces,” as Malandin put it.
During the early 1900s, automobile production accelerated greatly. The introduction of Henry Ford’s mass-production techniques enabled the automobile industry to reconcile state-of-the-art design and moderate price. Steam, electric, and gasoline internal-combustion engined autos competed for decades.
During World War II, automobile production slowed as manufacturers focused on producing for the war effort. After the war, the industry was flooded with competition from foreign carmakers, who had learned to make high-quality, functionally designed and affordable cars from German and Japanese companies that were exporting them worldwide. In the 1970s, consumers complained about nonfunctional styling and began to worry that the automobile was polluting the environment and depleting the world’s oil supply. These concerns led to the rise of hybrid, electrical, and autonomous vehicles.