The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in

the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles.[1] It is one of the
world's largest economic sectors by revenue. The automotive industry does not include industries
dedicated to the maintenance of automobiles following delivery to the end-user,[citation needed] such
as automobile repair shops and motor fuel filling stations.
The word automotive comes from the Greek autos (self), and Latin motivus (of motion), referring to
any form of self-powered vehicle.[clarification needed] This term, as proposed by Elmer Sperry[2][need quotation to
verify]
(1860-1930), first came into use with reference to automobiles in 1898.[3]

History
The automotive industry began in the 1860s with hundreds of manufacturers that pioneered
the horseless carriage. For many decades, the United States led the world in total automobile
production. In 1929, before the Great Depression, the world had 32,028,500 automobiles in use, and
the U.S. automobile industry produced over 90% of them. At that time the U.S. had one car per 4.87
persons.[4] After World War II, the U.S. produced about 75 percent of world's auto production. In
1980, the U.S. was overtaken by Japan and then became world's leader again in 1994. In 2006,
Japan narrowly passed the U.S. in production and held this rank until 2009, when China took the top
spot with 13.8 million units. With 19.3 million units manufactured in 2012, China almost doubled the
U.S. production, with 10.3 million units, while Japan was in third place with 9.9 million units.[5] From
1970 (140 models) over 1998 (260 models) to 2012 (684 models), the number of automobile models
in the U.S. has grown exponentially

au·to·mo·tive
/ˌôdəˈmōdiv/

Learn to pronounce

adjective
1. relating to or concerned with motor vehicles.

automotive
adjective
au·to·mo·tive | \ ˌȯ-tə-ˈmō-tiv \
Definition of automotive
1: SELF-PROPELLED
2: of, relating to, or concerned with self-propelled vehicles or machines
What is the difference between automobile and automotive?
Both terms, automobile and automotive are related
to vehicle industry. Automobile is a noun that usually refers to a four-
wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation
whereas automotive is an adjective relating to motor vehicles. This is the
main difference between automobile and automotive.Dec 28, 2015

AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
By definition an automobile or car is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own motor and transports
passengers. The automobile as we know it was not invented in a single day by a single inventor.
The history of the automobile reflects an evolution that took place worldwide.
It is estimated that over 100,000 patents created the modern automobile. You can point to the
many firsts that occurred along the way to producing the modern car; and with that goal in mind,
highlighted below are articles, biographies, timelines, and photo galleries related to the history of
the automobile and its many inventors.
The automobile as we know it was not invented in a single day by a single inventor. The history
of the automobile reflects an evolution that took place worldwide. It is estimated that over
100,000 patents created the modern automobile. However, we can point to the many firsts that
occurred along the way. It started with the first theoretical plans for a motor vehicle that had
been drawn up by both Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton .
In 1769, the very first self-propelled road vehicle was a military tractor invented by French
engineer and mechanic, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot (1725 - 1804). Cugnot used a steam engine to
power his vehicle, built under his instructions at the Paris Arsenal by mechanic Brezin. It was
used by the French Army to haul artillery at a whopping speed of 2 1/2 mph on only three
wheels. The vehicle had to stop every ten to fifteen minutes to build up steam power. The steam
engine and boiler were separate from the rest of the vehicle and placed in the front (see
engraving above). The following year (1770), Cugnot built a steam-powered tricycle that carried
four passengers.

In 1771, Cugnot drove one of his road vehicles into a stone wall, making Cugnot the first person
to get into a motor vehicle accident. This was the beginning of bad luck for the inventor. After
one of Cugnot's patrons died and the other was exiled, the money for Cugnot's road vehicle
experiments ended.
Steam engines powered cars by burning fuel that heated water in a boiler, creating steam that
expanded and pushed pistons that turned the crankshaft, which then turned the wheels. During
the early history of self-propelled vehicles - both road and railroad vehicles were being
developed with steam engines. (Cugnot also designed two steam locomotives with engines that
never worked well.) Steam engines added so much weight to a vehicle that they proved a poor
design for road vehicles; however, steam engines were very successfully used in locomotives.
Historians, who accept that early steam-powered road vehicles were automobiles, feel
that Nicolas Cugnot was the inventor of the first automobile.
 The automotive industry is a major industrial and economic force worldwide. It makes 60
million cars and trucks a year, and they are responsible for almost half the world's consumption
of oil. The industry employs 4 million people directly, and many more indirectly.Jan 6, 2007

The Automotive Industry: Economic Impact And Location

Issues

Despite problems with overcapacity and low profitability, the automotive industry retains strong
influcence and importance.

The automotive industry is a major industrial and economic force worldwide. It makes
60 million cars and trucks a year, and they are responsible for almost half the world's
consumption of oil. The industry employs 4 million people directly, and many more
indirectly.

Despite the fact that many large companies have problems with overcapacity and low
profitability, the automotive industry retains very strong influence and importance. The
industry also provides well-paying jobs with good benefits, has heavy linkages with
supplier industries (which gives it an oversized role in economic development), and has
a strong political influence.

The power of linkages is given by the following real but anonymous example of
forecasted economic impacts of a proposed automotive assembly plant:

noun
plural noun: tools
1. 1.
a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular
function.
"gardening tools"
Similar:
implement
instrument
utensil
device
apparatus
gadget

Automotive industry, all those companies and activities involved in the

manufacture of motor vehicles, including most components, such as engines
and bodies, but excluding tires, batteries, and fuel. The industry’s principal
products are passenger automobiles and light trucks, including pickups, vans,
and sport utility vehicles. Commercial vehicles (i.e., delivery trucks and large
transport trucks, often called semis), though important to the industry, are
secondary. The design of modern automotive vehicles is discussed in the
articles automobile, truck, bus, and motorcycle; automotive engines are
described in gasoline engine and diesel engine. The development of the
automobile is covered in transportation, history of: The rise of the automobile.

The history of the automobile industry, though brief compared with that of
many other industries, has exceptional interest because of its effects on 20th-
century history. Although the automobile originated in Europe in the late 19th
century, the United States completely dominated the world industry for the first
half of the 20th century through the invention of mass production techniques.
In the second half of the century the situation altered sharply as western
European countries and Japan became major producers and exporters.

History
Although steam-powered road vehicles were produced earlier, the origins of
the automotive industry are rooted in the development of the gasoline
engine in the 1860s and ’70s, principally in France and Germany. By the
beginning of the 20th century, German and French manufacturers had been
joined by British, Italian, and American makers.
Developments before World War I

Most early automobile companies were small shops, hundreds of which each
produced a few handmade cars, and nearly all of which abandoned the
business soon after going into it. The handful that survived into the era of
large-scale production had certain characteristics in common. First, they fell
into one of three well-defined categories: they were makers of bicycles, such
as Opel in Germany and Morris in Great Britain; builders of horse-drawn
vehicles, such as Durant and Studebaker in the United States; or, most
frequently, machinery manufacturers. The kinds of machinery included
stationary gas engines (Daimler of Germany, Lanchester of Britain, Olds of
the United States), marine engines (Vauxhall of Britain), machine tools
(Leland of the United States), sheep-shearing machinery (Wolseley of Britain),
washing machines (Peerless of the United States), sewing machines (White of
the United States), and woodworking and milling machinery (Panhard and
Levassor of France). One American company, Pierce, made birdcages, and
another, Buick, made plumbing fixtures, including the first enameled cast-iron
bathtub. Two notable exceptions to the general pattern were Rolls-Royce in
Britain and Ford in the United States, both of which were founded as
carmakers by partners who combined engineering talent and business skill.
 S, SIGN ME UP
NO, N OT RIGHT N OW

Importance Of Automobile In
Human Life
January 16, 2019 by admin

You may notice that there may be many vehicles nowadays in your city. People
cannot live without an automobile in this age. Technology has changed the lives
of people. Transportation is included in this.

Read on to find out why automobiles are in fact important.

A Brief History Of Transportation

Looking at transportation history, the origin of the automobile may be traced to

Europe. It became a huge form of transportation in the United States. Many
European cars got built by hand. These tended to be costly and few individuals
were able to afford them.
The beneficial development of automobiles can be seen to have had a huge
impact on people’s lives across most of the world.
Travel From One Place To The Next

In this advanced and fast age, people need to reach destinations quickly.
Automobiles help one over here. Some people have their own vehicles whilst
others use public transport. This helps people quickly get to work or where they
need to go.
Travel To Different Countries
Initially, it was extremely costly to travel by air. Nowadays it is still expensive, but
there are many airlines that people can choose from. People can now visit
different countries; they can study in those countries and do business there, etc.
This gives people more freedom to move across the globe than before.
Advancement Of Society
Human beings can now travel the world and learn from other cultures. This
increases globalization and the interconnectedness of the world. People from
developing countries can travel and study in developed countries. They can then
pass on the information to their own country to help their country out.
Freedom Of Movement
If you have a vehicle present in your home then when you have an emergency
you can quickly reach the hospital. There are many cars nowadays and you can
get a used car as well to fulfill your requirements.
Business Advantage
Selling automobiles is a business for some. It is even a prosperous one for some
people. You may be able to find a private seller who imports and sells cars. This
is an area of business that can turn out to be prosperous for some. Some people
may even donate to charity their vehicle, to help others out.
Take Vacations
With the help of automobiles people’s life has become better. They can now go
on vacations and enjoy their life. This has lead to the betterment of people’s
lifestyle. One can relax and just unwind whilst on a vacation. Previously
vacations to far off places were extremely tough.
Improvement Of Social Life
The social life of human beings has increased with the development of
automobiles. As said above people can go on vacations. They can even visit
friends, go out to parties, for dinner, to the park, etc. People can
enjoy travelling with friends and family to many places if they have an automobile
of their own.
From the above, you can see that automobiles have changed the lives of human
beings. People can now get exciting jobs, travel the world, enjoy their life, and
more, with the help of this amazing invention.

The Automobile:
Effects/Impact on Society
and Changes in Cars Made
by Generation
he invention of the automobile has brought more positive and negative effects than any other
invention throughout transportation history. As the most widely accepted method of transportation,
cars have changed the way people live all over the world. They have affected all aspects of society
such as family life, the economy, and even the environment. It is hard to find a movie, book, or TV
show that does not have some type of automobile in it. The advancement of automobiles over time
has directly affected the advancement of society as a whole. Over the generations, automobiles
have influenced every aspect of society in many ways and have changed to keep up with the times.

The first mass-produced automobile became publicly available in the 1920s. “In a world where
heading to the grocery store is three miles East and thirty minutes away, the need for improved
transportation was in demand” (Elliot 1). With the development of suburbia, cars made it easier for
people to travel in this world, which was beginning to spread out at a rapid pace. They quickly
gained fame as the new and fast way to travel. In the beginning, automobiles were considered to be
a luxury, but as they became more mass produced, more people were able afford them. Changes
that were made in the manufacturing process lowered the cost to the point where the average
American could own a vehicle. Ford’s main goal with his assembly line was to make sure that the
Model T would be available to a majority of the public. His low production cost enabled the final cost
of the car to be lowered as well. “Between 1900 and 1920 Americans went from owning 8,000 cars
to owning 8,000,000” (Hess 4). This was largely in part because of lowered production costs.

The more widely used automobiles became, the more they began to affect the daily lives of
Americans. During this time suburbs were also becoming popular. The automobile played a major
role in the spreading out of these suburbs. It heavily influenced family life, and made for a more
mobile society. The role of women in society was also affected by the automobile. “The urban
housewife of 1925 who could do well without a car was transformed into the suburban housewife of
1960 who required a car to do all her shopping or to pick up the kids after school” (Hess 9). It was
unnecessary for women who lived in the city to own cars, because they lived within walking distance
of everything that they needed. Growing suburbs meant that women needed a comfortable and fast
way of transportation. Women were not just limited to the house anymore. They could escape their
normal jobs of the home, and go into the “cultural scene” (Hess 9). Now, women were not limited to
their domestic roles any longer. They obtained more gender equality by competing with men for the
same types of jobs. Automobiles helped change the role of women in society.

At the time, cars were the cool new thing to have. However, there were negative effects brought on
by the introduction of automobiles. Old fashioned beliefs of family and unity were forgotten. Anyone
could escape from their current surrounding and go off on personal endeavors. People became
more independent because, “Individual family members could act upon their own wishes, rather than
the dictation of the family as a whole” (Elliot 2). As people began to spend more time on the road
then in their own homes, business minded individuals such as Ray Kroc took advantage of the
situation by opening up fast-food restaurants. Ray Kroc bought a six restaurant chain named
McDonalds and opened up the first modern day McDonalds in Des Plaines, IL in 1954. Today,
McDonalds is still around, and can be found in many of the world’s countries. The idea of creating a
drive-through restaurant was sparked by the popularity of the automobile.
Other modes of transportation had to be pushed aside in order to make room for the more
comfortable and convenient automobile. Bicycles, railroads, and horses were among the most
affected by the automobile’s sudden popularity in the 20’s. Bicycles were being used since the
1890’s as a more efficient means of transport than walking. Bicycle usage dropped significantly with
the invention of the automobile. However, the most widely used method of transportation before the
onslaught of automobiles was the horse and carriage. Unfortunately, from 1915-1930, the average
farm’s horse population decreased by a third (Young 4). A benefit of getting rid of the horse and
carriage system was that the cities became cleaner. Horses used to clutter up the city streets with
their foul manure. Now, the streets were manure-free and people thought that the automobile was
making their cities cleaner. Another valued method of transportation during this time period was the
railroad. Trains were used to transport people and cargo long distances across the country in a short
period of time. As soon as automobiles became popular, trains saw a decline in passengers.
Because of the automobile, railroad passengers decreased 40% from 1920-1929 (Hess 4). Railroad
companies started to overlook the passenger aspect of the railroad, and focused more on the cargo
transportation. When airplanes were invented, the railroad became squeezed in the middle. People
began to use planes for longer trips and cars for shorter trips. Today, trains are still mainly focused
on cargo. The passenger trains of today are equivalent to that of a fast bus with no traffic.
The automobile’s first growth phase ended with one car per family, but the second growth phase
ended with about one car per person. During the 60’s there was a 25 million increase in car
registrations (Hess 10). Car engineers now focused on making the car more efficient, because the
regular A to B car was already invented. A major update added to the options of cars was the air-
conditioning. People could now spend hours in their cars on hot days and not have to worry about
the heat. The temperature of the car could be changed with the touch of a button, and people
enjoyed being able to control this. Car innovators looked for small details of a car that would possible
make the passengers feel more comfortable. The more comfortable and suitable the car was to your
travel needs, the more popular it was.

During this generation people began to take more pride in their vehicles than ever before. Some
people wanted the fastest car and some wanted the prettiest, but all drivers had one thing in
common. They used their cars for fun and not just as a tool of transportation (Hess 9). People would
pile in cars with all their friends and cruise for half of the night because gas was so cheap. Car
enthusiasm became more popular with each passing year. Drivers took pride in the size of their
engines, which could be tuned to have more power than a modern day Ferrari.
Drivers weren’t the only people benefiting from automobiles. Automobile manufacturing companies
were hiring workers to put together the cars. This created numerous jobs in the U.S. “Employment
by firms engaged in motor vehicle and equipment manufacturing peaked in the late 1970’s at
approximately one million individuals—twice the employment of 1929” (Hess 9). If cars were non-
existent thousands of Americans would be out of work.
America’s landscape was also affected by the automobile. Large trucks were starting to be used in
the 60’s for mass transit of goods. Highways and interstates were being paved to allow large
numbers of truck and car drivers to arrive at their destinations faster. The Interstate Highway System
was formed. Without the automobile these roads and quick ways of transport would not even be
around. The Cold War at the time was also a major factor in influencing President Eisenhower to
endorse this system. He wanted a faster and more efficient way to travel in cars. Highways were his
solution, and they helped in the mass transit of troops quickly around the country. Overpasses are
16 feet high because that was the size needed at the time to allow military vehicles to pass through.
However, this major societal chan
Another societal change due to the automobile in this time period was the creation of drive-in
movies. People would meet at the nearest movie location, park their cars in front of the huge screen,
and watch the movie in comfort. Drive-in theatres became a major hot spot for teenagers, who would
take their dates to the movies. Families could pack into the car with their snacks, and watch movies
late into the night. While being interviewed about societal changes brought on by cars in his
generation, Anonymous 2 said, “Drive-through theatres were one of the greatest places to be on a
Friday night. They use to put little sound boxes on each car so that everyone could hear the movie.
What better form of entertainment could there be for teenagers with newly acquired licenses? These
theatres just added to the fun of owning your own car” (Anonymous interview 2). Even entertainment
was brought to a new level with the help of the automobile.

Currently, cars still dominate when it comes to the most popular form of transportation. They have
become essential to the functioning of people in everyday life. The average family has at least one
car and spends more on transportation than on food (Young 232). The automobile sector accounts
for 10% of the employment in the U.S. (Politics and Society 1). Especially today, with rising gas
prices, people are finding it more economically beneficial to take public transportation instead of
using their own personal automobile. Everyone would rather travel in the comfort of their own
vehicle, but sometimes the costs of doing this are too great for the people that are struggling
financially. Many people have to commute long distances to their job every morning, but they don’t
have enough money to pay for the gas. While being interviewed about what future cars will be like,
Anonymous 3 said, “I don’t know, but I hope that someone will invent a car that runs on water,
because then we wouldn’t have to pay so much for gas” (Anonymous Interview 3). Gas prices are a
major issue in America today, and without the automobile, there would be no problem.

With modern advances such as digital television and the internet, people are finding that they do not
even need to leave their homes for entertainment. What’s the point of going to Blockbuster if movies
are available for rent On Demand on your own home television? This takes away the necessity of
the automobile in going to the rental store. Some people are even able to do all of their shopping,
banking, and working all on their home computers, which eliminates the automobile from day-to-day
usage. As society becomes more technologically advanced, people are finding more reasons to stay
at home, instead of going out whenever they have errands or want to do something fun. In a recent
interview, a person said, “I don’t know if I can live in a world with no cars" (Anonymous). However,
automobiles are still widely used by most people, and will continue to be used as long as people
have a need for transportation.
Today’s engineers seem to focus more on the safety aspect of the car instead of it’s features. As
cars become more advanced, the means by which humans are kept protected must advance as
well. For example laws were passed that forbid people from not wearing a seat-belt. “Safety belts
saved more than 12,000 American lives in 2001. Yet, during that same year, nearly two-thirds (60
percent) of passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were unrestrained” (The Facts to
Buckle up America 1). Also, new inventions such as the airbag and in-car sensors protect not only
the passengers, but whatever or whoever may be near the car on the outside. These inventions all
came about because they are demanded by our current car buying market. As the world becomes a
more populated place, parents want safe vehicles to transport their children in. Automobile
manufacturers began to realize that if they wanted to sell their cars, they would have to find new
innovative ways of protecting passengers from the dangers of the road. They are coming up with
new safety features in order to stay ahead of the industry.
New types of vehicles aside from the typical sedan or coupe are becoming more popular in today’s
market. In the 90’s, the SUV, or Sport Utility Vehicle, became and remains to be popular. SUVs
allow for more people and belongings to be driven in the same vehicle comfortably. Large families
buy large vans and SUV’s because of the extra room that is provided for children and belongings. As
convenient as they are, do not be fooled into thinking that there are no negatives. Larger vehicles
typically burn more gas because of their size. Therefore, it cost’s more money to fill up an SUV than
it does a regular car. The extra burning of gasoline is dangerous to our environment. However, most
types of cars harm the environment.
People are starting to realize that Global Warming is a real issue that needs to be dealt with.
Pollution is causing this and it can permanently damage the face of the Earth. Pollution is a major
environmental problem caused mostly by automobiles. The burning of fuels creates toxic emissions.
Many Americans do not experience the horrible results of pollution that other poorer countries face in
urban environments. Congress passed laws that minimized the standard for automobile pollution.
There are laws preventing unnecessary pollution in the U.S., but other countries do not have these
laws. That is why many major U.S. companies build their factories in other countries where they
don’t have to worry about spending money on environmentally safe equipment. “Studies made in
Jaipur, India, indicate that there is high rate of occurrence of respiratory, digestive, ocular and skin
problems amongst the traffic policemen and a significant number of them become victims of lung
disorders in the very first few months of their posting to a traffic department” (Sinha 1). This is
because day after day they are exposed to the toxic emissions from cars in an urban area. Today,
many new types of eco-friendly vehicles are being invented to slow the process of global warming.
These cars are able to run on something other than gasoline. Examples of new types of cars are
electric, fuel cell, solar powered, hybrids, and ethanol. There has even been talk of a car that runs on
water. Hybrids are currently becoming more popular. More and more people are buying hybrids,
because they want to save money on gasoline. Hybrids save fuel by using both gasoline and
electricity to run the car. People have realized that using alternative fuels will help to conserve our
world’s natural resources and also limit the bad effects on the environment. This could help prevent
the current problems regarding global warming and all of the bad effects that come with it. With
rising gas prices, even people that don’t care so much about the environment are starting to switch
their cars in order to save money. Think of how much money would be saved if people did not have
to fill their cars up with gas every week.
Automobiles are a symbol of personal growth and development. When a young person reaches the
age of sixteen in the U.S., they will most likely obtain a license, which will enable them to drive a car.
Teens look forward to receiving a license because it is an opportunity for more freedom. They can
now go places and not have to worry about catching a ride with somebody. But, having a license
also comes with responsibilities such as driving safe and following the rules of the road. Many
people are killed every year because of teenage drunk drivers that aren’t responsible enough to
have their licenses. Now, the government is putting more restrictions and limitations on the laws
regarding driving and licenses. Last year, for example, the driving time requirements in IL for
obtaining a license changed from 25 hours of behind the wheel practice to 50 hours. These steps
are being taken in order to ensure that teens are better drivers, and make better choices when it
comes to getting behind the wheel. Owning an automobile and getting a license has now become a
rite of passage for teenagers. Automobiles have even helped spark societal traditions.
The automobile has affected this country more than any other invention of its time. It must adapt to
whatever is going on in the world at the time and keep up with future innovations. With the coming of
each new year, cars are becoming quicker, more luxurious, and more environmentally safe. It is
predicted that their will be a billion cars on the road by 2025 (Kruger 252). The invention of the
automobile opened up doors to new inventions. It allowed for people to worry less about making it to
dinner on time, and worry more about the actual dinner. People can travel faster in automobiles and
feel more comfortable at the same time. Automobiles were and continue to be the main source of
transportation not only for Americans, but for everyone on Earth. They will continue to influence
every part of our economy. Without automobiles, life as we know it would not be the same, and the
changes that they have brought upon the earth can be seen in every aspect of society.