The automobile, or car, is one of the most universal of modern technologies. It is a four-wheeled motor vehicle designed for passenger transportation and powered by an internal combustion engine fueled most often by gasoline (petrol). In addition to the powering system, an automobile has many other systems, such as steering, braking, and cooling. All of these are attached to a chassis and body, analogous to the human body’s skeletal structure, that provide support, safety, and comfort for the passengers.
The modern automobile originated in the United States, where cheap raw materials and a tradition of industrial manufacturing encouraged early development. The country’s vast territory and the lack of tariff barriers allowed mass production, bringing prices down to levels affordable for middle-class Americans. In the early twentieth century, a great range of vehicles came on the market, from the 1901 Mercedes to Ransom E. Olds’s tiller-steered, curved-dash one-cylinder, three-horsepower model of 1904. The great American automotive achievement would be reconciling the advanced design of the Mercedes with the moderate price and low operating expenses of the Olds.
The major advantages of automobiles are independence and freedom. Owning a car can allow people to travel longer distances than can be reached on foot or by bicycle. The disadvantages include air pollution, traffic congestion, and the expense of buying, maintaining, and parking a vehicle. People can reduce environmental damage caused by cars by driving more fuel-efficient vehicles and by using alternative forms of transportation when available.