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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the country with the initials "CAR", see Central African Republic. For other
uses, see Car (disambiguation).
"Passenger car" and "Automobile" redirect here. For the railroad car that
carries passengers, see Passenger railroad car. For the broader classification
which includes trucks, see Motor vehicle. For other uses, see Passenger car
(disambiguation) and Automobile (disambiguation).
Car
The Toyota Corolla, which has been in production since 1966, is the best-
selling series of automobile of all time.
Classification Vehicle
Industry Various
Application Transportation
Fuel source
Petrol
Diesel
Natural gas
Hydrogen
Biodiesel
Battery
Fuel cell
Solar cell
Hybrids of the above
Powered Yes
Self-propelled Yes
Wheels 3–6, most often 4
Axles 2, less commonly 3
Inventor Carl Benz
Invented 1886 (138 years ago)
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars
state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four
wheels, and mainly transport people over cargo.[1][2] There are around one
billion cars in use worldwide.
The French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road
vehicle in 1769, while the Swiss inventor François Isaac de Rivaz designed and
constructed the first internal combustion-powered automobile in 1808. The
modern car—a practical, marketable automobile for everyday use—was
invented in 1886, when the German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz
Patent-Motorwagen. Commercial cars became widely available during the 20th
century. The 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash and the 1908 Ford Model T, both
American cars, are widely considered the first mass-produced[3][4] and mass-
affordable[5][6][7] cars, respectively. Cars were rapidly adopted in the US,
where they replaced horse-drawn carriages.[8] In Europe and other parts of
the world, demand for automobiles did not increase until after World War II.[9]
In the 21st century, car usage is still increasing rapidly, especially in China,
India, and other newly industrialised countries.[10][11]
Cars have controls for driving, parking, passenger comfort, and a variety of
lamps. Over the decades, additional features and controls have been added to
vehicles, making them progressively more complex. These include rear-
reversing cameras, air conditioning, navigation systems, and in-car
entertainment. Most cars in use in the early 2020s are propelled by an internal
combustion engine, fueled by the combustion of fossil fuels. Electric cars,
which were invented early in the history of the car, became commercially
available in the 2000s and are predicted to cost less to buy than petrol-driven
cars before 2025.[12][13] The transition from fossil fuel-powered cars to
electric cars features prominently in most climate change mitigation
scenarios,[14] such as Project Drawdown's 100 actionable solutions for climate
change.[15]
There are costs and benefits to car use. The costs to the individual include
acquiring the vehicle, interest payments (if the car is financed), repairs and
maintenance, fuel, depreciation, driving time, parking fees, taxes, and
insurance.[16] The costs to society include maintaining roads, land-use, road
congestion, air pollution, noise pollution, public health, and disposing of the
vehicle at the end of its life. Traffic collisions are the largest cause of injury-
related deaths worldwide.[17] Personal benefits include on-demand
transportation, mobility, independence, and convenience.[18] Societal
benefits include economic benefits, such as job and wealth creation from the
automotive industry, transportation provision, societal well-being from leisure
and travel opportunities. People's ability to move flexibly from place to place
has far-reaching implications for the nature of societies.[19]
