An automobile is a self-propelled motor vehicle intended for passenger transportation on land. It usually has four wheels and an internal combustion engine furled most often by gasoline, a liquid petroleum-product. Known more commonly as a car, formerly as a motorcar, it is one of the most universal of modern technologies, manufactured by one of the world’s largest industries. More than 73 million new automobiles were produced worldwide in the year 2017. The scientific and technical building blocks of the automobile go back several hundred years. For example, in the late 1600s, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens invented a type of internal combustion engine sparked by gunpowder. The “horseless carriage” in its modern form had been developed by the end of the 19th century. At that time, it was not clear which of three fuel sources would become most commercially successful: steam, electric power, or gasoline. Cars run by steam engines could go at high speeds but had a short range and were inconvenient to start. Battery-powered electric cars had a 38 percent share of the United States automobile market in 1900, but they also had a limited range and recharging stations were hard to find.
Article Details
Unique Paper ID: 163197
Publication Volume & Issue: Volume 10, Issue 11
Page(s): 801 - 804
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