Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.

The assembly line forced workers to work at a certain pace with very repetitive motions which led to more output per worker while other countries were using less productive methods. Continuous development of gasoline engines for over a hundred years has produced improvements in efficiency and reduced pollution. The combination of high wages and high efficiency and was copied by most major industries.

Key developments included electric ignition and the electric self-starter both by Charles Kettering, for the Cadillac Motor Company independent suspension. Most automobiles in use today are propelled by gasoline also known as petrol, which are known to cause air pollution and are also blamed for contributing to climate change and global warming.

Development of automotive technology was rapid, due in part to the hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's attention. However, the term automobile is far from precise, because there are many types of vehicles that do similar tasks. The efficiency gains from the assembly line also coincided with the economic rise of method.