Automobiles are a very important part of our everyday lives and can be used for transporting passengers and goods. The automobile industry is one of the most lucrative industries of the world. The industry employs a large number of people and contributes significantly to the economy of the country. However, there are certain cons associated with this industry as well. One of the major cons is that automobiles emit a lot of greenhouse gases which are bad for the environment. Another major con is that automobiles are quite expensive to maintain and buy.
The modern automobile is a complex technical system with thousands of subsystems that have specific design functions. Most cars are powered by internal combustion engines that use a volatile fuel. These engines are fueled by petrol, diesel or even electricity in some cases. Steam, electric and gasoline vehicles competed for decades before the gas engine became dominant in the 1910s.
Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry by making them affordable for the masses and made them a common part of society. This was a great leap from the horse drawn carriages that were the common mode of transportation in the 19th century.
Today, there are more than 1.4 billion automobiles in the world. Almost half of these are passenger cars, the most popular type of vehicle for transportation in developed countries. The advantages of owning a car include freedom to travel as you please within your local area, without having to worry about the departure times of public transportation systems. Moreover, owning a car can also give you a sense of prestige that is difficult to match.