Automobiles are self-propelled vehicles that are used for transportation of passengers & goods. They have four to eight wheels & are powered by either internal combustion engine or electric motor. They are classified into passenger vehicles, commercial vehicle & special purpose vehicles like ambulance, fire brigade & police vehicle. Automobiles play a major role in our life today and it has changed the way we live. The invention of automobiles gave people more freedom to travel, which contributed to development of cities and towns. This resulted in more jobs and opportunities for education. It also brought more leisure activities and new services such as hotels, amusement parks and restaurants. But it brought some negative impacts too, such as pollution caused by the exhaust of the gas-burning engines, and it required large amounts of land to build roads.
In the late 1800s, Americans began to dominate the industry. They were aided by Henry Ford, who introduced mass production techniques that made his Model T affordable for middle-class families. But as American manufacturers strove to make cars more stylish and glamorous, they neglected their basic functions and quality deteriorated. By the 1960s, carmakers were selling units that had an average of twenty-four defects apiece, many of them safety-related.
The most important component of an automobile is its engine. It is the source of motive power and without it, the automobile cannot move. The engine may be a spark-ignition or compression ignition engine that uses petrol or diesel as fuel. Its power is transmitted to the road wheels through a transmission system with various gear ratios that provide different levels of tractive effort depending on the conditions under which the vehicle operates.
Besides the engine, other essential parts of an automobile are chassis, wheels and control systems. Chassis refers to the main body of the vehicle that houses all the major mechanical parts that make up the automobile such as a control system, a powertrain and a suspension system. Wheels are the moving components of an automobile and they need a great deal of tractive effort to overcome resistance on the road. The control system of an automobile enables the driver to steer, accelerate and brake the vehicle.
There are three basic types of engines used in automobiles – Front engine, mid-engine and rear-engine. The most common type of engine is the front engine, which is located over or ahead of the front axle and has its weight concentrated at the front end. The other two systems are less common but they include the mid-engine and the rear-engine, which both have their weight distributed evenly throughout the vehicle.
A car is a great symbol of freedom and independence. In 1916, two women – Nell Richardson and Alice Burke – took a pretty bold drive to advocate for women’s rights by driving around with banners that said “vote for women.” Despite the prejudice and discrimination they faced at the time, these two women proved how much freedom a vehicle can give when it comes to travelling.
