The development of external combustion engines is detailed as part of the history of the car but often treated separately from the development of true cars. It was unable to maintain sufficient steam pressure for long periods and was of little practical use. In 1801, Richard Trevithick built and demonstrated his Puffing Devil road locomotive, believed by many to be the first demonstration of a steam-powered road vehicle. His inventions were, however, limited by problems with water supply and maintaining steam pressure. He also constructed two steam tractors for the French Army, one of which is preserved in the French National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is widely credited with building the first full-scale, self-propelled mechanical vehicle or car in about 1769 he created a steam-powered tricycle. HistoryĬugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France Both forms are still used in everyday Dutch ( auto/ automobiel) and German ( Auto/ Automobil). It fell out of favour in Britain and is now used chiefly in North America, where the abbreviated form 'auto' commonly appears as an adjective in compound formations like ' auto industry' and ' auto mechanic'. 'Automobile,' a classical compound derived from Ancient Greek autós (αὐτός) 'self' and Latin mobilis 'movable,' entered English from French and was first adopted by the Automobile Club of Great Britain in 1897. ' Horseless carriage' is attested from 1895. 'Autocar,' a variant likewise attested from 1895 and literally meaning ' self-propelled car,' is now considered archaic. 'Motor car,' attested from 1895, is the usual formal term in British English. The English word car is believed to originate from Latin carrus/ carrum 'wheeled vehicle' or (via Old North French) Middle English carre 'two-wheeled cart,' both of which in turn derive from Gaulish karros ' chariot.' It originally referred to any wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, such as a cart, carriage, or wagon. Car usage is increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, and other newly industrialized countries. There are around 1 billion cars in use worldwide. People's ability to move flexibly from place to place has far-reaching implications for the nature of societies. Societal benefits include economic benefits, such as job and wealth creation from the automotive industry, transportation provision, societal well-being from leisure and travel opportunities, and revenue generation from taxes. Personal benefits include on-demand transportation, mobility, independence, and convenience.

Traffic collisions are the largest cause of injury-related deaths worldwide. The costs to society include maintaining roads, land use, road congestion, air pollution, public health, healthcare, and disposing of the vehicle at the end of its life. The costs to the individual include acquiring the vehicle, interest payments (if the car is financed), repairs and maintenance, fuel, depreciation, driving time, parking fees, taxes, and insurance. The transition from fossil fuels to electric cars features prominently in most climate change mitigation scenarios, such as Project Drawdown's 100 actionable solutions for climate change. Electric cars, which were invented early in the history of the car, became commercially available in the 2000s and are predicted to cost less to buy than gasoline cars before 2025.

Most cars in use in the early 2020s are propelled by an internal combustion engine, fueled by the combustion of fossil fuels. These include rear-reversing cameras, air conditioning, navigation systems, and in-car entertainment. Over the decades, additional features and controls have been added to vehicles, making them progressively more complex. The car is considered an essential part of the developed economy.Ĭars have controls for driving, parking, passenger comfort, and a variety of lights. In Europe and other parts of the world, demand for automobiles did not increase until after World War II.

Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced animal-drawn carriages and carts. One of the first cars affordable by the masses was the 1908 Model T, an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Cars became widely available during the 20th century. The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the car when German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen.

Most definitions of cars say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. Gasoline, electricity, diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, solar, vegetable oilĪ car (or automobile) is a wheeled motor vehicle that is used for transportation. Cars and trucks driving on a divided highway, Highway 401 in Ontario, Canada

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