Automobile

An automobile is a motorized road vehicle designed primarily to carry people, usually on four wheels. It is distinguished from buses and trucks by its passenger-carrying role and typical size.

Internal combustion engine: A heat engine that burns fuel inside a chamber to produce mechanical power. It powers most automobiles that use gasoline or diesel fuel.
Benz Patent-Motorwagen: A three-wheeled vehicle built by Karl Benz and patented in 1886, widely regarded as the first practical automobile. It established the automobile as a self-propelled road vehicle using an internal combustion engine.
Personal transportation: The movement of individuals between places using privately or publicly available transport. Automobiles offer flexible, direct travel for individuals and households.
Urban sprawl: The outward spread of low-density development beyond a city’s established center. Automobile travel enabled development farther from workplaces and urban services.
Electric vehicle: A vehicle propelled partly or wholly by electric motors. It replaces combustion propulsion with electric drive, reshaping refueling and maintenance.
Karl Benz: A German engineer who built and patented an early practical automobile in 1886. His Patent-Motorwagen helped launch the modern automobile industry.
Road: A prepared route on land for vehicles, people, or animals to travel along. Road networks provide the infrastructure on which automobiles operate.
Traffic congestion: A slowdown in road travel caused when demand approaches or exceeds roadway capacity. High volumes of automobile trips can overwhelm available road space.
Transmission (mechanics): A mechanism that transfers power from an engine or motor to a vehicle’s wheels. It matches the power source’s output to changing road speeds and loads.
Ford Model T: A Ford automobile produced from 1908 to 1927 that helped make car ownership widespread. Its standardized production and low price made automobiles accessible to many households.

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