The automobile (sometimes called a car) is a four-wheeled vehicle that carries passengers. It has an engine or motor to make it move but uses less power than a truck/lorry and bus. It has a steering wheel, seats and a windshield for passenger protection. The automobile can be powered by gasoline, diesel fuel or electric energy.

Automobiles are more convenient and quicker than walking or riding a bike for long distances. They can carry more than one person and large amounts of luggage. They are also often faster and cheaper than using buses, trains (steam-powered, diesel-powered, monorail or light rail) and trams in cities. They can also go where public transportation cannot.

However, automobiles can also be dangerous to people and cause air pollution. Many people suffer from traffic accidents while driving and driving is a major cause of deaths. Automobiles also pollute the world’s atmosphere, causing global warming.

In the United States, there are over three trillion miles traveled each year in vehicles. Having access to an automobile gives people freedom of movement and opens up more options for where they can live and work relative to their family and friends.

The word “automobile” is derived from French and Latin, meaning “self-moving” or “self-moving carriage.” Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road vehicle in 1769 and Francois Isaac de Rivaz designed and constructed the first internal combustion-powered vehicle in 1808. Karl Benz developed the first modern automobile with his Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1886. The invention of the mass production assembly line by Henry Ford revolutionized industrial manufacturing. The automobile is now the most common means of transportation in the world. Annually over 59 million cars are produced worldwide.