Eco-driving
Handout 4
History of the automobile
Part 2a / Exercise 5
Cars are a relatively new phenomenon, having been introduced on a wider scale less than 100
years ago.
→→ Steam cars
If one defines a car as a ‘self-propelled road vehicle capable of human transport’, then the first
car was invented in France as early as 1769. This vehicle had only three wheels and was powered
by a steam engine. It was used as military tractor by the French Army to haul artillery. The steam
engine and boiler were separated from the rest of the vehicle and placed in the front. The vehicle had to stop every ten to fifteen minutes to build up steam power. The maximum speed was
4 km/h and the steam engines added a lot of weight to the vehicle and thus, were not well suited
for road vehicles. However, steam engines were used very successfully in locomotives.
Steam wagon by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, second version; 1771
Source: Roby
More than 200 years ago, in the early 19th century the first cars which were powered by an internal combustion engine were invented. These engines were powered not by liquid fuel but by gas.
→→ The early success of electric cars
In the 1830s, vehicles powered by electric motors were introduced. It took almost half a century
longer, until 1870, before internal combustion engines running on petrol were invented.
LEVEL
B2
TOGETHER_Eco-driving_5_Handout 04.pdf
Eco-driving
Handout 4
In 1900, electric cars outsold all other types of cars. Petrol driven vehicles only played a minor
role in the market. Electric vehicles had many advantages over their competitors in the early
1900s: They were easier to start and to operate and they did not have the vibration, smell, and
noise of petrol and diesel cars. Most early electric vehicles were expensive, massive carriages
with fancy interiors specifically designed for the upper class.
→→ Famous cars from the past
Lohner Porsche, 1899. An early electric car. Range: 50 km, maximum speed: 50 km/h
Source: Austrian Energy Agency
The 106 km-journey within Germany is famous for being the first automobile journey over a real
distance.
Bertha Benz, driving in a Benz Patent Motorwagen automobile, 1888
Source: ARD.de
LEVEL
B2
TOGETHER_Eco-driving_5_Handout 04.pdf
Eco-driving
Handout 4
→→ The domination of petrol and diesel cars
In the 1920s, sales of electric vehicles decreased and the internal combustion engine came to
dominate the consumer market.
On the one hand, the discovery of Texas crude oil reduced the price of gasoline, but on the other
hand petrol driven cars became more user-friendly and affordable.
In the 1920s, the first car with an electric starter was introduced by Henry Ford: The Ford model
T. Due to Ford’s innovations, including mass production instead of individual hand crafting, this
model was the first affordable automobile for the common middle-class. The model T is still
among the ten best selling cars of all time.
Ford model T, 1923
Source: www.good-wallpapers.com
In the Pre-War Era, fully-closed models with luggage space were introduced. In the period after
World War II cars had more resemblance to modern automobiles. The inventive and shiny cars,
like the Mini Cooper, the Volkswagen Beetle and the Citroen 2CV have left a memorable print on
automobile history.
Austin Mini Cooper, 1963
Source: Steve Baker
LEVEL
B2
TOGETHER_Eco-driving_5_Handout 04.pdf
Eco-driving
Handout 4
Volkswagen Beetle, 1973
Source: IFCAR
Citroën 2CV, 1975
Source: Tettinger
→→ The world’s best selling car models
The world’s best selling car models of all times are:1
»» Toyota Corolla (1966 –today): 35,000,000 units
»» Ford F-Series (1948 –today):
34,000,000 units
»» Volkswagen Golf: (1974–today): 27,000,000 units
1 Five top-selling cars in the world. Source: Auto Express (2010)
LEVEL
B2
TOGETHER_Eco-driving_5_Handout 04.pdf