The automobile, a lightweight, self-propelled wheeled vehicle, was not as we know it today when it was first invented.
Its development has undergone a lengthy process. Over more than a hundred years of continuous improvement and innovation, it has encapsulated human wisdom and craftsmanship.
It has benefitted from various industries such as petroleum, steel, aluminum, chemicals, plastics, machinery, electricity, road networks, electronic technology, and finance, driving their advancements. As a result, automobiles have evolved into diverse types and specifications, widely used as a means of transportation across various sectors of socio-economic life.
Since 1970, the global number of automobiles has almost doubled every 15 years, with the global car production reaching 87.38 million units in 2013.
The first automobile in human history emerged in 1769, a long way from the era of gasoline. In 1807, the first internal combustion engine using hydrogen as fuel was invented, and in 1826, the first industrial internal combustion engine was created. In 1833, Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci established the first engine factory in history. However, it took another 50 years for the world's first complete internal combustion engine car to be officially born.
In 1883, the first engine using petroleum gasoline as fuel appeared, and two years later, Daimler manufactured the first four-wheeled motorcycle using petroleum or gasoline as the engine's fuel. At that time, there was no distinction between cars and motorcycles, so this four-wheeled motorcycle is considered the predecessor of our modern gasoline-powered vehicles.
During the early 20th century, automobiles were popular among wealthy families in developed areas. Steam cars were the best-selling in the global automobile market, followed by electric cars, while gasoline cars, as we know them today, ranked third.
Entering the 20th century, human technology rapidly advanced, enabling stable production of light gasoline through the petroleum industry. In 1911, someone decomposed crude oil using the Burton process, exponentially increasing gasoline production. In 1908, the Ford Model T began production, marking a new stage of industrialization.
Private car ownership surged, and the rudimentary taxi industry emerged. Car ownership was no longer limited to the wealthy; ordinary people could afford decent cars after working for a while.
At the same time, racing became popular. Almost every car company produced dedicated racing cars to promote their brands through racing achievements.
Automobile manufacturing processes matured. While most car manufacturers only produced chassis at that time, outsourcing the production of bodies to other companies, manufacturers like Mercedes and Ford emerged, capable of independently completing car production with a complete sales process.
After the 1950s, cars began to emphasize performance, with vehicles paying more attention to quality. Chassis technology shifted from ladder frame to monocoque construction.
The oil crisis nearly devastated the automotive industry, but electronic control technology quietly emerged at this juncture, initially seized upon by the Japanese. After saturating the Japanese market, Japanese cars expanded to Europe and the Americas. European countries were forced to use tariffs to hinder Japanese cars, while American cars gradually fell behind in the competition with Japanese cars.
Today's gasoline cars indeed face a kind of bleak future. Of course, countless gasoline car enthusiasts claim they won't switch, but the trend of the arrival of new energy is not something a few individuals can stop.
Accepting new energy means acknowledging that motor-driven force generated by electric motors will replace internal combustion engines, just as internal combustion engines defeated steam engines in the early 20th century. New energy will also surpass internal combustion engines in the not-so-distant future.
To address the energy crisis, particularly the scarcity of petroleum resources, in recent years, developed countries like Europe, America, and Japan have vigorously supported the development of new types of power for automobiles. These new power sources include electric vehicles, hybrid cars, fuel cell vehicles, etc.
