Automobiles are one of the most widely used of modern technologies and have had a profound effect on the history, economy, and social structure of most industrialized countries. They represent both the promise and the pitfalls of the modern world. They offer the speed and flexibility of long-distance travel, but also encourage sprawl (i.e., straggling, low-density urban development), degrade landscapes, produce air pollution and traffic congestion, and eventually lead to immobilization of the very automobiles that make such sprawl possible. They are the pillars of our society, but they can also be seen as symbols of its flaws and a threat to the natural environment.
An automobile, by name auto or motor car, is a self-propelled passenger vehicle that uses four to eight tires and is powered by an internal combustion engine, most often fuelled by gasoline (petrol). The branches of engineering that deal with the manufacture and technology of automotive vehicles are known as automobiles engineering.
A modern automobile is a complex technical system with thousands of subsystems, each of which has specific design functions. The arrangement and choice of components, however, depends to a great extent on the type and use for which the automobile is intended. For example, a truck used in agriculture requires durable, simple systems that can withstand severe overloads and extreme operating conditions, while sports cars require optimized high-speed handling and acceleration characteristics.
The technological building blocks of the automobile go back several hundred years. Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens invented a type of internal combustion engine sparked by gunpowder in the late 1600s, but it was not until the early 1900s that Emile Levassor and Armand Peugeot of France introduced automobiles with Daimler engines. Ransom Eli Olds and Henry Ford then brought affordable, mass-produced automobiles to the United States, using the revolutionary manufacturing method of the assembly line.
Whether you have a car or not, you know how important it can be to have access to transportation to get where you need to be. Having a car allows you to go wherever you want, when you want without having to rely on others and the schedules of buses and taxis. It also allows you to expand your life radius, allowing you to visit places that would be very difficult to reach otherwise.
If you don’t have a car, it may be time to consider getting one. Besides the convenience, a vehicle will save you time and money in the long run. You won’t have to worry about missing the bus, you can leave a little later or come home a little earlier, and you will not have to deal with other peoples hygiene in a cramped bus. Plus, if you have an emergency or unforeseen situation arise, having your own vehicle will help you to get to where you need to be quickly and safely.
