Automobiles are powered by an internal combustion engine, usually burning gasoline or a similar fuel to run. When the engine runs it sends energy through a transmission that sends it to the wheels, making the automobile move. Some cars are also powered by electricity, using a battery to turn the motor’s wheels. Regardless of how the car is powered, it has four wheels and carries passengers. Pros: Cars can get people where they need to go quickly, and they can be used as an alternative to public transportation, such as buses or passenger trains. They can also be useful to those living in rural areas, where it’s hard or impossible to get around without a vehicle. Cons: Most cars produce greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. When many people drive cars in the same area, they can also cause traffic congestion. And the cost of buying, maintaining and insuring a car can be expensive.
The modern automobile was perfected in Germany and France toward the end of the nineteenth century, but American manufacturers such as Ford, GM and Chrysler came to dominate the industry during the first half of the twentieth century. The production methods developed by Henry Ford and his successors revolutionized industrial manufacturing, reducing the price of cars so that middle-class families could afford them.
As the number of cars rose, they began to replace horse-drawn carriages on city streets and suburban roads. Automobiles allowed families to relocate away from the center of town, building huge suburbs with houses surrounded by green grass lawns. Some critics saw this shift as a sign of the loss of a sense of community, but others viewed it as an opportunity to pursue dreams of privacy and escape.
In addition to providing a means of mobility for individuals and families, automobiles have created a new way to organize society and economy. For example, they allow people to live in remote places and travel long distances for work, study and recreation. They can also serve as a tool for political activism. In the early 1900s, women used their automobiles to promote votes for women.
Today, there are more than 1.4 billion cars in operation worldwide. Most of them are powered by an internal combustion engine that burns a liquid fuel such as gasoline, diesel or kerosene to create the mechanical energy needed to make the wheels turn. The engine then sends the power through a transmission system, which can be adjusted to control how fast or slow the car goes.
Most cars are powered by an internal combustion engine, which releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere when it burns. This pollution is partly to blame for global warming, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In order to limit this pollution, drivers can choose a fuel-efficient model of automobile and limit the amount of time they spend driving. They can also help by riding bikes, walking or taking a bus to get where they need to go.