History[edit]

Main article: History of the automobile

In the early years, steam engines and electric motors were tried, but with limited
success. In the 20th century, the internal combustion (ic) engine became dominant.
In 2015, the internal combustion engine remains the most widely used but a
resurgence of electricity seems likely because of increasing concern about ic
engine exhaust gas emissions.
As of 2017, the majority of the cars in the United States are gasoline powered. In
the early 1900s, the internal combustion engines faced competition from steam and
electric engines. The internal combustion engines of the time was powered by
gasoline. Internal combustion engines function with the concept of a piston being
pushed by the pressure of a certain explosion.[3] This explosion is burning the
hydrocarbon within the cylinder head an engine. Out of all the cars manufactured
during the time, only around one fourth are actually considered internal
combustion. Within the next couple of years, the internal combustion engine came
out to become the most popular automotive engine.[4] Sometime within the 19th
century, Rudolf Diesel invented a new form of internal combustion power, using a
concept of injecting liquid fuel into air heated solely by compression.[3] This is the
predecessor to the modern diesel engine used in automobiles, but more
specifically, heavy duty vehicles such as semi-trucks.

Engine types[edit]
Internal combustion engines[edit]
Main article: Internal combustion engine
Petrol engines quickly became the choice of manufacturers and consumers alike.
Despite the rough start, noisy and dirty engine, and the difficult gear shifting, new
technologies such as the production line and the advancement of the engine
allowed the standard production of the gas automobiles. This is the start, from the
invention of the gas automobile in 1876, to the beginning of mass production in the
1890s. Henry Ford’s Model T drove down the price of cars to a more affordable
price. At the same time, Charles Kettering invented an electric starter, allowing the
car to be more efficient than the mechanical starter.[5] The abundance of fuel
propelled gas automobiles to be the highly capable and affordable. The demand of
gasoline rose from 3 billion barrels in 1919 to around 15 billion in 1929.[6]
An internal combustion engine is a motor that is powered by the expansion of gas
which is created by the combustion of hydrocarbon gases fuels.[7] To elaborate, an
internal combustion used the heat of a combustion created by the injected
hydrocarbon fuel to create mechanical motion. At the time of the early
1900s, wood alcohol was a popular fuel for French and German automobiles, but
as governments imposed large taxes on the production, the price of wood alcohol
rose above that of gasoline.[7] Gasoline engines became popular as a result of this,
as internal combustion engines were commonly known as gasoline engines.
Although gasoline engines became popular, they were not particularly desirable
due to the dangers of fuel leaks that may cause explosions. Therefore, many
inventors attempted to create a kerosene burning engine as a result. This was not a
successful venture applying it for automotive usage. There are many different
types of fuels for internal combustion engines. These include diesel, gasoline,
and ethanol.
Steam engines[edit]
Main article: History of steam road vehicles
The steam engine was invented in the late 1700s, and the primary method of
powering engines and soon, locomotives. One of the most popular steam
automobile was the “Stanley Steamer,” offering low pollution, power, and speed.
The downside of these steam automobiles is the unreliability, complexity, and the
frequent accidents that occurred with them. The startup time for a steam car may
take up to 45 minutes, defeating the purpose of faster transportation. By the time
the steam automobile was improved, the complexity of manufacturing relative to
the gas automobiles made steam automobiles unprofitable.[5]
A steam engine is a device which transforms heat into mechanical motion. This is
provided with the usage of boilers, which create steam by boiling water. In the
early 1900s, Abner Doble introduced a steam powered car in the United States
which had capabilities that could potentially overpower Ford’s Model T in
efficiency.[8] Steam has been known to have very efficient fuel economy with a
high power source. That is why half the world was powered by steam for almost
the entirety of the 19th century and almost half the 20th century. The main
drawback of the steam engine in automobiles was the fact that operators were
required to have full knowledge of boilers and steam engines before operating, as it
was detrimental to the engine itself if the operator neglected it.[7]
Electric motors[edit]
Main article: Electric motor
Electric vehicles seemed to be the most viable option, similar to the steam
automobiles. It was first invented in the early 1800s, and became a viable option of
transportation around 1890, when William Morrison created the first electric car
that traveled 14 miles per hour. The electric cars offered low pollution and a
soundless ride, unlike their gasoline counterparts. The greatest downside of electric
cars was the range. The typical electric car could reach around 20 miles before
requiring a recharge. Manufacturers could not increase the number of batteries, due
to the bulkiness of the batteries at the time. Without an incentive to purchase the
electric automobiles, gas automobiles was the most viable option at the time. [5]
Electric cars use batteries to store electricity which is used to power electric
motors. The battery delivers the power to the motor, which is either AC or DC.
The difference between AC and DC motors is the sort of system that is required to
run it in an electric vehicle. An AC motor is generally cheaper but the components
required to run it in an electric vehicle such as the controller and inverter makes it
more expensive than the DC motor. A unique feature of electric vehicles compared
to its gasoline counterparts, the electric vehicle is more simple than the gasoline
vehicle.[9] The electric vehicle bypasses the gasoline car components such as the
crankshaft which allows it to generate power much faster than gasoline. Because of
the faster transfer of power, the electric vehicle is able to accelerate faster than
gasoline cars.[10]
In the 1970s, the electric vehicle made its reappearance because of the 1973 OPEC
Oil Embargo. Previously, the abundant gasoline had become the prime source of
fuel for vehicles. But after the shortage, manufacturers began looking towards
electric vehicles again. Despite the improved technology from the 1800s, the
electric vehicles faced similar technological flaws such as limited mileage and
speed. They could only travel up to 45 miles per hour and had a range of
approximately 40 miles.[11]