Automobiles are wheeled vehicles that run on roads and typically have seats for one to seven people. They use either chemical (gasoline) or electrical energy to move. The speed at which the wheels turn is measured in kilowatts or horsepower.
Most of an automobile’s environmental footprint comes from how it is used, not how it is made. However, the production and recycling of steel, glass, plastics, rubber, paints and other materials leave a footprint as well. Automobiles consume gasoline and produce air pollution and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. They also cause accidents, which can result in injury and death.
The automobile changed American society in many ways, allowing people to travel farther and visit places they couldn’t reach on foot or by train. It gave people access to jobs, homes, and services and increased leisure activities. The car also caused problems like traffic jams, air pollution, and damage to the environment.
Karl Benz, a German engineer, invented the modern automobile in 1885. He used a four-stroke internal combustion engine to power his Patent-Motorwagen. Henry Ford came along a few years later, revolutionizing the way cars were made by using an assembly line and making them more affordable so that middle-class people could afford to own them. He also opened a plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1914. Japanese manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Suzuki began as loom companies before World War II but switched to car production afterward.