Automobiles are wheeled vehicles designed to transport passengers and propelled by an internal combustion engine powered by a volatile fuel. An automobile is a complex technical system, the components of which are grouped together into a chassis and body analogous to the skeletal structure of the human body. The body provides safety, comfort, and protection from the elements for the automobile’s occupants. The engine, wheels, suspension, and steering are connected to the chassis by means of a power- transmission system that transmits engine horsepower into forward motion. Modern cars are designed to meet a wide variety of functional requirements, including speed, performance, fuel economy, and durability. The modern automobile’s design is influenced by advances in mechanical and chemical technology, and economic, ecological, and geopolitical factors influence the sourcing of raw materials needed for production.
In the United States the automobile has played a major role in society and history. The country’s large population and relatively equitable income distribution created great demand for automotive transportation in the United States. The American manufacturing tradition encouraged the use of mass-production techniques, and a lack of tariff barriers allowed manufacturers to sell cars across a broad geographic area.
Henry Ford pioneered many industrial manufacturing methods that would revolutionize car production. He invented the assembly line, where workers stay in one place to perform a single task as parts pass by on a conveyor belt. This greatly lowered the price of his Model T runabout and made it affordable for middle-class families.
By the first decade of the twentieth century most Americans owned a car. The automobile gave people freedom of movement and increased the opportunities for recreational activities. It also restructured societies, as communities and cities formed around the automobile and the flexible distribution of goods made possible by trucks. Unfortunately, automobiles also contributed to urban sprawl, which degrades landscapes and contributes to traffic congestion. In addition, the high unit profits Detroit earned from gas-guzzling road cruisers came with social costs of increased air pollution and a drain on the world’s dwindling oil reserves.
In North Carolina, Ford opened a plant in Charlotte in 1914, which was the nation’s largest car factory. The city became a center of car manufacturing during the early 1900s, when it was still uncommon for women to drive. Two of them, Nell Richardson and Alice Burke, took a bold ride in 1916 to promote women’s suffrage by driving across the country with banners proclaiming “votes for women.”
The automobile has many advantages, including its flexibility to move from home to work or from one vacation spot to another. However, the car can be a source of frustration when it is not properly maintained and used for its intended purposes. The environmental impacts of the automobile are substantial, and newer models are being designed to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency. The future for the automobile will be shaped by these and other concerns. As technological innovations make cars more environmentally friendly and safer to operate, they may become the primary mode of transportation for most people in industrialized countries.