The automobile is a four-wheeled vehicle that carries people and cargo. Its basic parts include a chassis, engine, brakes, wheels and seats. A driver operates the automobile by pressing on pedals to make it go and stop, and by turning a steering wheel to guide it where it wants to go. Automobiles are often made from steel, but many also use plastics and high-strength alloys of other metals. They are built to withstand extreme conditions, and the design of each car depends on its intended use. For example, vehicles designed for off-road driving require robust systems that resist severe overloads and operating conditions. Those designed for high-speed driving require optimized handling and stability.

The first true automobile was built in the late 1800s by German engineer Karl Benz. It was powered by a small internal combustion gasoline engine. Other inventors and engineers developed their own versions of the automobile. They used steam, electric and other engines, but gasoline internal combustion became the dominant technology in the 1910s.

While the automobile has brought convenience and freedom, it has also created new problems. For example, air pollution has damaged the environment and led to respiratory diseases. And, the proliferation of cars has spelled the end for traditional public transportation.

Nevertheless, the automobile has become one of the most important innovations of modern times. It reflects the long-standing predisposition, especially in the United States, for personal freedom of movement and action and for living independently. It has helped to expand opportunities for jobs, education and leisure activities and has provided more access to food and services. It has also contributed to urban sprawl, separating families from each other and from community and cultural resources.

The modern automobile is a complex technical system, and the engineering and research that goes into its design has become a multibillion-dollar industry. Some of its components have come from breakthroughs in existing technologies, such as electronic computers and high-strength plastics. Others have come from new technologies, such as electronic control systems and advanced alloys of steel and nonferrous metals.

A modern automobile is usually a sedan (a passenger car), a pickup truck or a van. A larger vehicle devoted to cargo is often called a lorry or truck. The word automobile comes from the Greek words autos (self) and mobilus (“movable”). The automobile is so widespread that it has changed many aspects of our lives. For example, it has allowed families to live far apart and to move around without being tied down to bus routes or having to schedule rides. It has also made it possible to take road trips, which have opened up many areas of the country for exploration and discovery. It has even changed the way we date, facilitating new patterns of unchaperoned courtship.