As a common means of transportation today, automobiles have endured over a century of trials and tribulations, with each era witnessing significant changes in vehicle models.
Broadly speaking, the history of automobile development can be divided into five stages. Let's explore the changes and advancements in the course of automobile development across these five stages.
1. Invention of the Steam Engine:
Before the invention of the steam engine, primitive "vehicles" existed in a sense. Initially, people used cylindrical wooden objects placed under heavy loads and rolled them for transportation.
Over time, it was discovered that larger wooden wheels led to faster transport speeds. This led to the gradual upgrade to wheeled carts, marking the earliest form of wheels for transportation.
In 1774, James Watt, a British inventor, successfully invented the world's first steam engine, ushering in the era of the first industrial revolution. From then on, people embarked on an unstoppable journey of automobile development.
In 1759, Frenchman N.J. Cugnot built the world's first steam-powered three-wheeled vehicle called the "Fardier à Vapeur" (Steam Dray). This vehicle featured a large boiler resembling a pear, measuring 7.2 meters in length and 2.2 meters in height. It required a 15-second stop every 12 to 15 seconds of travel to heat up and achieve a speed of 3.5 to 3.9 kilometers per hour.
In 1804, Richard Trevithick built a steam-powered vehicle that carried 10 tons of cargo and traveled 15.7 kilometers on a railway.
In 1808, Richard Trevithick invented the steam locomotive.
In 1825, Walter Hancock invented and manufactured the steam carriage, which had 18 seats and a top speed of 19 kilometers per hour, making it the world's earliest public bus.
2. Birth of the Internal Combustion Engine:
In 1860, Étienne Lenoir invented the internal combustion engine, which operated by compressing and igniting a mixture of air and fuel within cylinders, thus improving engine efficiency.
In 1876, Nikolaus Otto developed an effective method of compressing and igniting the gasoline-air mixture within cylinders, significantly enhancing engine efficiency.
In 1879, German engineer Karl Benz successfully tested a two-stroke experimental engine. He later founded Benz & Cie., the world's first automobile manufacturing company, and built the first patented motor car powered by a 0.9 horsepower single-cylinder gasoline engine, achieving a top speed of 15 kilometers per hour.
In 1886, German engineer Karl Benz unveiled the first four-wheeled automobile, powered by a 0.46-liter four-stroke gasoline engine producing 0.82 kW of power and capable of reaching speeds of up to 18 km/h.
3. Mass Production of Modern Automobiles:
In the early 20th century, the automobile industry expanded beyond Europe. In October 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T automobile in the United States, selling 15 million units within 19 years.
In 1973, during the global oil crisis, the American automobile industry faced significant challenges. Seizing this opportunity, Japan began developing and producing small fuel-efficient cars in large quantities.
The financial constraints imposed by the oil crisis prompted a shift towards practicality in automobile design, with vehicles designed for agricultural and expeditionary purposes, offering consumers a wider range of choices.
4. Industrialization of the Automobile:
After 1945, Japan made vigorous efforts to develop its automobile industry. Due to Japan's economic conditions at the time, mass production on the scale of the United States was not feasible.
To reduce costs, increase production efficiency, and ensure profitability, Toyota developed the Toyota Production System (TPS). This system eliminated waste and various factors causing waste, improved inventory turnover rates, and shortened production cycles. It was widely adopted by other companies and became known as the Lean Production System in Europe and the United States in the 1990s.
5. Development of New Energy Vehicles:
Today, the market share of new energy vehicles is increasing rapidly due to their extremely low emissions.
New energy vehicles refer to vehicles powered by energy sources other than diesel or gasoline engines, such as hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, solar vehicles, and hydrogen-powered vehicles. According to incomplete statistics, there are over a million natural gas vehicles worldwide, and the number of liquefied petroleum gas vehicles exceeds four million.
With the continuous development of the automobile industry, vehicles are no longer limited to practical and economic aspects. Technologies such as facial recognition, gesture control, eye-gaze activation, transparent A-pillars, and biometric keys have become common features in new vehicles. It is believed that future automobiles will bring even more exciting user experiences, perhaps even with "wings" attached!
