Automobiles are four-wheeled vehicles that carry people and their things. They are bigger than two-wheeled bikes or scooters and smaller than trucks/lorries, buses and airplanes. Automobiles get their name from the Greek word for “self-moving” because they do not need to be pulled by horses or other animals to move. They have engines or motors that make them go, and they can be driven by the person who owns or rents them.
Automobiles can be made in many different shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the people who use them. They are usually driven on roads, although they can also be driven off-road (like in a desert). Most cars have brakes to stop the automobile when it is needed, and a radio or CD player to play music. Many have air bags and other safety features to protect the passengers.
There are special automobiles for helping people in emergency situations, like fire engines, ambulances and patrol cars. People can also drive special off-road vehicles to go in places that a regular car may not be able to go, like mountains or rivers. There are even automobiles to help with construction, such as crane vehicles that lift heavy objects.
Many countries now have laws about how safe and fast an automobile can be. They can also have regulations about where and how a person can park an automobile. Most countries also have an organization that checks to make sure cars are safe and obey the rules.
The first automobiles were steam engines attached to wagons in the late 18th century. They were slow and hard to control. Later, better and faster steam automobiles became common. Later still, the internal combustion engine was invented, which changed how automobiles worked. It used gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene or other fuel to run. When it burned, it exploded inside a cylinder that pushed down on a piston, turning the wheels of the automobile.
Modern automobiles are a lot more complicated than the early ones. They have lots of systems that work together to power the automobile and control it. They can be powered by electrical energy or gasoline, and they can have many kinds of tires to suit the road conditions. Some have regenerative braking that turns the power from moving the automobile back into electricity to keep it running when it is parked.
The people who own or rent automobiles need them to get to work, school, shopping and to visit friends and family. They can also use them to have fun or go on vacation. Many people like to travel in cars to see the sights in other parts of the country or world.
Automobiles give millions of people around the world jobs in factories that build them and in gas stations, restaurants or motels that travelers stop at. But they can cause problems too. Millions of people die in traffic accidents, and automobiles pollute the air that we breathe. Some people also dislike the noise and congestion that automobiles sometimes create on streets.