Automobiles is the branch of engineering that deals with the manufacture and technology of automotive vehicles. Today automobiles play a major role in our lives, without which the luxuries of modern world cannot be imagined. They are used for passenger transportation as well as goods transportation, hence performing as a lifeline to humans.
Modern automobiles are complex technical systems that are designed with specific design functions in mind. The thousands of individual parts that make up an automobile are arranged into semi-independent systems that work together. Similar to the human body, these systems include circulatory systems for cooling and lubricating fluid, the engine—the “heart” of the automobile—which includes pistons that burn fuel in cylinders to generate power, the transmission system, and so on.
Compared to walking or riding a bicycle, automobiles are much faster and more convenient. They can carry more people than bicycles or even a bus, and they can travel over rough terrain. However, their use can impose a burden on the environment, especially when too many of them are driving on the same roads at the same time—which creates traffic congestion that slows all the automobiles in its path. Automobiles also emit a lot of pollution, and their combined emissions are partly to blame for climate change.
Automakers have responded to these concerns by developing ever more sophisticated cars and trucks. In addition to the traditional sedans, convertibles and pickup trucks, we now have minivans that can seat up to eight passengers, sport utility vehicles of all shapes and sizes, electric-powered cars, and more.
