The automobile is a machine that moves on the ground under its own stored power, typically carrying a driver and a small number of passengers. It may also carry cargo or other equipment in the form of a trailer. The automobile has revolutionized modern life and it would be difficult to imagine a society without automobiles. Automobiles are used as means of transportation to work, school, shopping, and for recreation. Having a personal automobile gives the owner a great deal of freedom, but it can be dangerous if it is driven by reckless drivers.
The term “automobile” derives from the French word for “car.” The first automobiles were built in Germany and France in the late 1800s, but they didn’t come into wide use until after 1910. Karl Benz, a German engineer, is generally credited with inventing the automobile around this time. Other inventors and engineers continued to refine the design of the automobile, but it was not until Henry Ford that the industry began to grow rapidly. Ford innovated mass-production techniques that slashed the price of cars, making them more affordable to middle-class Americans.
Ford’s Model T was the first mass-produced car and it triggered a revolution in automotive manufacturing. His new production techniques allowed Ford, General Motors and Chrysler to emerge as the “Big Three” of the auto industry. The automobile is now the main mode of transportation in the United States, where people drive three trillion miles (five trillion kilometres) each year.
Although the automobile has caused a host of social changes, there have been some adverse effects as well. It has led to traffic jams that have brought cities to a standstill, and it has contributed to the deterioration of the environment. There are also concerns about safety and privacy. It can be a dangerous way to travel, but the advantages of owning a car outweigh these negatives for most people.
Aside from its role in promoting mobility and independence, the automobile has become one of the largest industries in the world. It accounts for the largest percentage of the global sales of consumer goods, and provides one out of every six jobs in the American economy. It has also become a major source of pollution, and is draining the world’s oil reserves.
The future of the automobile is in electric and autonomous vehicles. Until these technologies can be perfected, automobiles will continue to dominate the marketplace. But in the meantime, manufacturers must continue to innovate and produce attractive, functional, safe, fuel-efficient vehicles that are affordable to consumers. In order to stay competitive, manufacturers must regularly restyle their models and introduce new models in an effort to lure buyers. But this era of annually restyled “road cruisers” will soon end, with the introduction of federal standards for safety, pollution and energy consumption; with escalating gas prices and environmental concerns; and with the penetration of the U.S. market by foreign-made, fuel-efficient, functionally designed, and well-built small cars from Germany and Japan.