Advertorial Feature
The humble car has come a long way. As the earliest form of motorised vehicle, the car has been providing people with the freedom to drive wherever they need to go for over 100 years.
With the increasing popularity of environmentally friendly vehicles, or green cars, the car has come a long way. It’s difficult to define the origins of such an invention, but the last century has certainly seen some important changes for the automobile.
Humble beginnings
Whilst the true origins of the car are often debated, many credit Karl Benz for inventing the first true automobile. His Motorwagan of 1885 proved successful and was awarded a patent. There were steam powered devices before this but many were too small to carry passengers and had far less control. Many vehicles like the Motorwagan came and went. However, they were nothing more than automated horse carriages, a far cry from today's motoring standards.
Defining the car
As the car grows in popularity, the vehicle itself has changed. No longer are there only vans, coaches and the average car; from small to large, cars now come in all shapes and sizes.
For personal use there are the likes of small hatchbacks and coupés. Family-friendly cars offer more space and room than ever before. As the car has become an important part of people's lives, so too has the need for the car to reflect this. Whether you need two seats or six, cars have been built, adjusted and designed with people from every walk of life in mind.
Power source
Since the car’s modest beginnings there have been many changes with regards to the vehicle’s power sources. Whilst the earliest vehicles utilised steam, petrol was quickly found to be a more effective form of energy, with diesel further improving on this.
For a long time these two forms of fuel – petrol and diesel – proved successful, providing power for a wide range of vehicles. Despite its success, the basis of oil as a limited resource and an environmentally damaging pollutant has started to limit its use. More emphasis is being placed on green cars. The likes of the Honda hybrid cars have been developed that offer alternative energy sources to reduce the use of fuel.
Full electric cars are now also available. These are dependent on electric power, often with no other option than to charge the car at home. However, electric power stations are now more common and the world appears to be shifting to electric or alternative power.
The car is a common possession. Car manufacturers are listening to people and producing cars that fit all needs, whilst understanding that there needs to be a replacement for the combustion engine using alternative fuels in the near future – that, or our world as we know it will suffer even more. Originally designed for the rich and wealthy, the automobile has evolved and become affordable for everyone, with new car deals on all types of cars now suitable for all budgets and requirements.