Automobiles are vehicles used for transporting people and things. Usually these vehicles are powered by an engine, which can be gasoline, diesel, balloon gas, air (balloon), or electric. They also have a chassis, bodywork, control system, electrical equipment, and service devices. There are about 1.4 billion automobiles in operation worldwide today. The automobile has brought a variety of changes to the economy, society, and culture in the United States. These changes include industrial and technological advances, increased personal freedom, access to jobs and services, development of better roads and transportation systems, and the growth of many industries and businesses that provide parts and services for cars.
The first true automobiles were steam- and electricity-powered cars built in the late 1700s and early 1800s. These were very heavy and slow to move. But, the advent of the internal combustion gasoline engine in the 1860s and ’70s allowed manufacturers to build faster and lighter cars.
After World War I, car companies began to use new technology to make their products easier to operate and more comfortable. They started to add things like heaters, electric windows, and power steering. In addition, they began to use steel bodies instead of wood and canvas. They also started using more powerful engines that could run for longer periods of time without needing to be refueled.
By the 1920s, automobiles ranked as America’s number one industry by value of product and provided one out of every six jobs in the country. The automobile was the lifeblood of a new consumer goods-oriented economy and the chief customer of petroleum and other industrial products. Its demand stimulated the growth of ancillary industries, including highway construction and the manufacture of steel and rubber tires. The automobile also stimulated leisure activities, which created new services such as motels and restaurants.
By the 1950s, automobile production had shifted from the nation to other countries, especially Japan and Germany. As a result, the automobile became more affordable to middle class Americans. But it also caused more damage to the environment and a drain on dwindling oil supplies. Engineering was subordinated to nonfunctional styling, and quality deteriorated to the point where by 1960, American-made cars were being sold with an average of twenty-four defects per unit, most of them safety-related. Fortunately, the development of fuel-efficient hybrid and alternative-fuel cars has begun to reverse this trend. Hopefully, these technologies will make it possible to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Eventually, we may even be able to replace the internal combustion engine altogether.