Automobiles are vehicles designed to transport people on public roads. They are usually powered by internal-combustion engines using a volatile fuel, such as gasoline (carburetor internal combustion engine), diesel, kerosene, or electric motors. Modern automobiles are complex technical systems consisting of many subsystems with specific design functions.
The earliest cars were steam-powered, including steam buses, phaetons, and other passenger cars. Later, the internal-combustion gasoline engine made cars easier to operate. These new automobiles gave people more freedom to travel and create jobs for industry, technology, and everyday services like gas stations and convenience stores.
There are special automobiles for work, such as crane cars at construction sites, road rollers, and fork-lift trucks in warehouses. There are also emergency automobiles, such as fire engines and ambulances.
Karl Benz invented the first modern automobile in 1885, and Henry Ford revolutionized car production with his assembly line in 1913. This allowed manufacturers to make cars quickly and inexpensively, making them more accessible for middle-class families. This trend continued into the 1960s, when questions about the nonfunctional styling of American-made cars and environmental concerns over the draining of world oil reserves opened the market to foreign cars—especially those from Germany and Japan that were more functionally designed and efficiently driven. The automobile is now the most common mode of transportation in the world. There are more than 1 billion vehicles on the planet. Each year the number grows by 5 percent. Automobiles are a crucial part of modern life, and they are expected to continue to dominate the global transportation market.