Automobiles are wheeled vehicles designed primarily for passenger transportation and powered by an internal combustion engine using a volatile fuel. Known more commonly as cars, motorcars, or automobiles, they are one of the most universal and widespread of modern technologies. Modern automobiles are complex technical systems that employ thousands of subsystems, each with a specific design function. The building blocks of the car have evolved for several hundred years, and in many cases, the most advanced designs are the result of breakthroughs in new technologies such as electronic computers and high-strength plastics or alloys of steel and nonferrous metals.
The modern automotive industry is a global business, dominated by a few large corporations. These companies have the financial resources to develop newer, safer, faster, and more environmentally-friendly automobiles than smaller producers could develop on their own. Some of the major companies are GM, Ford, and Toyota. Other major manufacturers include Volkswagen, Chrysler, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and others.
Automobiles are used as a primary form of transportation in cities and larger towns in most parts of the world. When too many people try to use automobiles at the same time, traffic congestion slows them down and causes air pollution that contributes to climate change. In addition to automobiles, there are many other forms of transportation such as buses (diesel-powered or electric), trains (steam-powered, diesel-powered, monorail or light rail) and subways.
Before the automobile became popular in America, it was perfected in Germany and France by Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, Nicolaus Otto and Emile Levassor. These pioneers were largely unaware of each other’s early work and developed their cars independently of each other.
In the United States, the automobile was introduced in earnest in the 1920s and quickly emerged as the backbone of a new consumer goods-oriented society. It became a key force in urban development and a major user of the nation’s resources, especially steel and petroleum. It also provided many jobs, and the ancillary industries that supplied it with raw materials were revolutionized by its demands.
As the automobile became more affordable and easier to operate, it served a long-standing predisposition in American culture toward individual freedom of movement, action, and living. This trend led to suburban development, where houses were built away from city centers and surrounded by green grass lawns, and which also created the notion that every family needed its own private automobile.
In today’s society, more than 90 percent of American households own at least one automobile. Many of these are driven by children to school, and many commuters rely on them for their daily journeys to work and shopping. Having a car is often necessary in metropolitan areas where stores and restaurants are not within walking distance from each other, or in suburban and rural communities where there are few public transportation options. However, the automobile can cause environmental problems and safety concerns when operated recklessly. In addition, it is often not practical to own a car in a dense urban environment because the number of automobiles makes streets unsafe for pedestrians and other modes of transportation.