Automobiles are wheeled passenger vehicles with internal combustion engines that drive them mainly on roads. They have seats for one to seven people and four wheels, and they are designed primarily for transporting people rather than goods. The automobile was a significant innovation that enabled modern societies to develop into urbanized industrial powerhouses. In the United States, it brought suburban amenities to rural areas and ended rural isolation. It also stimulated participation in outdoor recreational activities, and it spurred growth of roadside businesses such as restaurants and motels. It also helped fuel the construction of streets and highways.

The scientific and technical building blocks of the automobile go back several hundred years. In the 1600s, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens invented a type of internal engine sparked by gunpowder. By the late 1800s, inventors had improved on this by using gasoline as the source of energy, and they had begun constructing motor cars for commercial use.

Karl Benz patented his first automobile in 1886, and it became the basis for the Model T of 1908. In the United States, cheap raw materials and a tradition of mass production encouraged manufacturing companies to make large numbers at low prices. This greatly increased the demand for automobiles, which eventually made them affordable to many middle-class families.

The emergence of the automobile as a major factor in human mobility has had dramatic consequences for lifestyles and culture around the world. The most obvious change is that it has enabled individuals to travel farther distances than would be possible with walking or riding a horse. This enables them to find jobs in other towns or countries and allows them to spend more time with family members. It has also opened up new possibilities for living in relation to work, as a person can choose to live close to where she or he works.

There are some problems caused by the automobile, however. Car accidents can harm or kill people, and they often cause air pollution, especially in metropolitan areas. In addition, a large number of automobiles in one place can lead to traffic congestion, which can slow down everybody. Public transportation such as buses, passenger trains and trams can move faster and more easily than automobiles when there are a lot of people trying to get somewhere at the same time.

Despite the social costs of automobiles, they remain a vital part of most people’s lives. To overcome some of the disadvantages, engineers continue to strive for better automobile performance and safety features. They also work to improve efficiency, comfort and convenience. Lastly, they try to minimize the environmental impacts of automobiles, including air and noise pollution and oil consumption. New technologies are being developed to reduce carbon emissions and improve vehicle fuel efficiency, so that they are less damaging to the environment. Ultimately, the future of automobiles will be determined by how much governments require manufacturers to meet standards for safety and energy consumption and by how much consumers demand more fuel-efficient, functionally well-designed cars that are priced within their budgets.