Automobiles are motor vehicles with four wheels that primarily carry people over long distances. They are driven by a powered engine and are usually driven on roads, although some automobiles are designed to run on rails, use natural gas or electricity as power sources, and be towed behind boats or other vehicles. There are around one billion cars in use worldwide. The word car comes from ancient Greek autos (meaning “self”) + French mobile (“movable”). The first automobiles were steam-powered or electric, but gasoline was the fuel of choice for most in the 19th century and has since become the dominant form of transportation.

There are many benefits to having an automobile. For one, it gives you freedom to travel where and when you want. You can also save time by not having to wait for public transport. If you are not a good driver, driving can be dangerous, but if you learn to drive safely and follow the rules of the road, it is a great way to get around.

The invention of the automobile revolutionized world history in a number of ways. It allowed women to work jobs in factories or elsewhere that were typically men’s roles, and it gave people the freedom to travel and make friends with people from different areas of the country. In addition, it led to a push for women’s rights, and in 1920 the United States passed the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote.

Although there were a few earlier examples of the automobile, the modern version was invented by Karl Benz in 1885 or 1886. He used a four-stroke internal combustion engine to power his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Although there were other inventors of automobiles such as J. Frank and Charles Duryea, Henry Ford’s production methods were the biggest change to the industry. His Model T was inexpensive and made many cars affordable for middle class people.

After World War II the automobile industry became saturated and began to slow down in terms of innovation. Concerns surfaced about the nonfunctional styling of American cars, safety issues and economic problems related to gas guzzling automobiles.

Today, the automobile industry is dominated by three companies in the United States; General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, which was formed from the old Maxwell Motor Car Company in 1925. Outside of the United States, most countries that produce automobiles have a limited number of large manufacturers. In the past, a large number of small shops produced automobiles in small numbers for local markets. These small, independent producers are now mostly gone. They have been replaced by larger firms that rely on mass production techniques. These larger firms are able to sell automobiles at competitive prices. They can also provide financing for the consumer. They are still responsible for new automobile innovation, but it is less dramatic than in the past. The growth of these firms has also encouraged development of alternatives to the automobile, including buses, trains (steam-powered or diesel-powered), trams and subways.