From Necessity to Convenience The Automobile's Invention and Its Impact on Society

The earliest attempts were moderately successful but served little practical purpose. Automobiles first began to truly spread with the invention of the electric ... Cars became smaller, more fuel-efficient, less polluting, and safer. Product and production were being increasingly rationalized in a process of ... Before the car, most people had never traveled faster than a galloping horse, save for those who boarded trains. But cars were different from ... They were noiseless, gave off no odour or fumes to make the occupants dirty, their range allowed them to cover everyday journeys, and electricity was beginning ... The modern automobile, developed in the late 1800s, is based on the internal combustion engine, invented by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens ... Charles Duryea and his brother Frank were initially bicycle makers, but later became world-renowned as the inventors of the first American gasoline-powered car. As is often the case, Benz was not the only person working on such a design, but he patented his work first. As such, he patented all the processes that made ... By the 20th century, inventors and engineers had made the automobile's design more practical. Engines used petrol (or gasoline) for power, and ... Karl Benz manufactured his first car because he was inspired to harness the potential of the internal combustion engine such as how to power a horseless ... Starting his own company gave Benz the autonomy to pursue the development of the self-powered vehicle he had dreamed about as a student.