Automobiles, also known as motor cars, are four-wheeled vehicles that are designed primarily for passenger transportation. They are propelled by an internal-combustion engine using a volatile fuel. Modern automobiles are complex technical systems consisting of subsystems with specific design functions.
The automotive industry is a global business that produces and sells more than 26 million cars every year. These cars contribute to society’s economic growth and quality of life by allowing people to move more freely and easily to work, school, shopping, and leisure activities. The automotive industry is one of the world’s largest and most diverse. It includes everything from small family sedans to large trucks and buses.
In the early 1900s, the advent of the automobile revolutionized human mobility. It opened the door to many new social and industrial developments, such as suburbs, interstate highways, drive-in movies, fast food restaurants, and retail centers. It helped families expand their living area, as well as the number of jobs they could access. It also brought with it environmental harm through air pollution, the destruction of undeveloped land for roadways, and other consequences.
The automobile is an important part of the world economy, and its development has been driven by advances in a variety of disciplines, including engineering, manufacturing, materials science, physics, and engineering psychology. The design of an automobile requires consideration of many factors, including safety, performance, size and weight, the environment, lubrication and cooling, engine design, suspension characteristics, steering, and body style.