Automobiles are a vital part of our daily lives, providing us with the convenience and mobility to get where we need to be. They have a significant impact on the economy and society. Without them, it would be hard to imagine living a modern lifestyle. This is why automobile engineering is an important branch of Engineering.
An automobile is a wheeled vehicle designed primarily for passenger transportation and commonly propelled by an internal combustion engine using a volatile fuel. They are usually built on a four-wheeled chassis and have seating for one to seven people. Most of them use petrol, diesel or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), but other fuels such as natural gas and electricity are also used. The modern automobile is a complex technical system with thousands of subsystems that have specific design functions.
In the beginning, inventors tried to make steam and then electric cars that looked and worked like the ones we use today. Some of them succeeded, but the majority of them failed. Then came Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz who invented highly successful gasoline-powered cars. After that, Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line and made car production affordable for many families.
The automobile made life easier by giving people access to jobs and places to live, leisure activities, restaurants and fast food. However, it also brought harm to the environment by polluting the air and consuming undeveloped land. In addition, it contributed to the development of new industries and services, such as gasoline stations, convenience stores and motels.