A car is a multiple-wheeled locomotive vessel used to transport people and property. The source of power for most cars is an internal combustion engine. Currently, different motor vehicle makers assemble cars that use electricity and bio-fuels instead of fossil fuel. The fuel commonly used in many cars is petrol. However, some cars use diesel and ethanol. Smaller percentage of cars uses alternative sources of energy such as wood gas, natural gas and electricity. Further, in countries such as Brazil, a mixture of ethanol and petrol referred to as gasohol is used in many cars. The size, the number, and the size of people and luggage carried vary from one car to another.
The first car was made by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in 1768. It was powered by steam and was only used to transport human beings. Later in 1807, Francois Isaac de Rivaz improved on Cugnot’s model with a new model powered by an internal combustion engine. In 1886, Karl Benz invented Benz Patet-Motorwagen, which was powered by gasoline or petrol. Electric-powered cars would first appear towards the end of the 20th century.
The modern era heralded exceedingly classy cars with advanced technical and design elements, which make these cars distinct from vintage and other earlier cars. A unique feature of current car-making is the use of computer-aided design, which symbolizes the technological advances achieved in the car industry. The notable features of modern cars include all-wheel drive, fuel efficiency, diesel engine and constant fuel-injection. Car body styles have also changed considerably in the last 2 decades. The most common body styles are sport utility vehicles, sedan, the hatchback, crossover SUV, sports wagon and pickup trucks. The most easily noticeable carmakers are Toyota, BMW, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Chrysler, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, and Renault.
In the USA, Ford Motor Company, founded in 1903, is the pioneer carmaker. The US car industry started producing cars in mass at the start of the 20th century and later became the largest car maker in the century. The mass car production resulted in the creation of hundreds of car brands and models. Ford Motor Company started the mass production of cars, a feat it achieved by being innovative. For instance, it introduced the assembly lines and manufactured cars that the middle class could afford. As a result of its innovativeness, Ford is currently an international car brand that sells millions of cars globally. The other big car brands in the US are Fiat Chrysler and General Motors. Others are Jeep, Tesla Motors, Buick, Dodge, RAM, Cadillac, and Lincoln. US car companies such as Detroit Electric and Tesla Motors are now developing modern electric cars to overtake their competitors in the car market.
Recently, the car industry has recorded considerable growth and stability. The annual sales in the industry have grown considerably, translating into increased profitability, compared to the recession era. Nevertheless, there are still feelings of uncertainty in the industry. The main cause of uncertainty in the car industry is the uneven global market. The US car market is more optimistic than the European market with the Northern American market expected to sell more than 16 million cars in 2015, an increase over the 13 million cars sold in 2008. Car sales have plunged in Russia, China, and South America in recent times while the performance of India’s car market has been quite inconsistent. The current car industry is affected negatively by factors such as shifts in consumer demand and expanded and more complicated regulatory requirements. Increasing data and information availability has also affected the car industry positively.