Automobiles (or cars) are the most common form of personal transportation in the world. They allow people to travel great distances quickly and are more convenient than walking or riding a bicycle. They can carry more people than a bike or a bus and they can go places public transportation cannot. But they can also cause problems, such as traffic congestion and air pollution. Millions of people around the world work in automobile factories and millions more work at gas stations or restaurants that travelers stop at.

People first began to build cars in the late 1700s and early 1800s. They were powered by steam or electricity. The earliest automobiles were very slow and did not have any safety features, such as seat belts. Then, in the mid 1900s, cars became much faster and safer. The modern automobile is made up of many different systems that work together to power the car, control it and make it safe for passengers to ride in.

The heart of an automobile is its engine, which can run on gasoline (also called “gasoline”), diesel fuel, hydrogen, or electricity. Then the energy from the engine is passed to the wheels through a transmission system, which has a set of gears that can make the car move faster or slower.

Almost all automobiles have a body, which is the outer shell that protects the mechanical parts. The body can be made from steel, fiberglass or strong plastic. It can be painted or covered in fabric. In addition, there are a variety of other components that help the automobile to work properly. These include the chassis, which is the frame that holds all the other components of the vehicle, the brakes, which are used to stop the automobile and the wheels, which are used to move the car over the ground.

Most automobiles are driven by an internal combustion engine. When the gasoline in the tank is burned, it creates heat and pressure that turns a crankshaft, which then moves a chain or belt to drive the wheels. The chains and belts also turn other devices, such as the air conditioning, to cool or heat the interior of the car.

In addition, the electrical system provides power for lights and other devices. And the braking system stops the automobile when needed and keeps it from rolling when it is parked. The modern automobile can also have a regenerative braking system, which converts the kinetic energy of motion into electricity that recharges the battery.

In the 1970s, as the United States drained its own oil supplies and looked for other sources of oil, prices rose dramatically and long lines formed at gasoline stations. This helped push automakers to develop smaller, more functionally designed and well-built vehicles that used less fuel. These vehicles are known as “gas-efficient” or “compact cars”. In the 1990s, a new wave of compact cars from Japan caused a stir in the American market.