When cars first came around they were essentially inspired by the technology of the steam engine. When the steam pushed the piston up and then on escaping the piston fell down it created a continuous linear motion. Using a couple of gears, this linear motion was converted into a circular motion which in turn allowed the wheels to spin. This was the first and foremost principle based on which even our modern cars - which run on diesel and petrol and all kinds of fossil fuels - were designed. The essence of a car’s design lies with its engine and the levers which connect them to deliver the maximum amount of power with minimum loss.
When the first cars came: The need for locomotion
When the first cars were designed they were modelled mainly to perform one particular function of basic movement with a steering wheel to navigate through the road. Once this idea was established by the group of engineers at that time the next matter of concern dealt with the source of power which would allow the car to move fast and diligently.
The first cars: Explorations of the electric circuits
During the time all of the developments regarding a vehicle were taking place the research into electricity, magnetism and the manner in which they are related were thoroughly investigated. This investigation led the scientists and engineers to believe that electricity would be the perfect power source for cars. Hence the first cars turned out to be electric.
Need for speed: To fuel and back to electricity
When it was observed that electric vehicles would not run at speeds at par with those of the fuel driven cars, the car companies decided that it would be profitable for not only them but also the owner of the fossil fuels if the car’s design were switched to the consumption of fossil fuels. And as we know today that plan turned out to be quite profitable.
The surge of electricity: An age of AI and automation
In Todays world, fossil fuels have become scarce and solar power and other sources of electricity and batteries have advanced and continue to advance at an exponential rate. We have now slowly moved into an age where companies like Toyota and BMW have begun their work on the production of new electric vehicles and have begun work on finding solutions to convert the fuel-driven ones. And in this race, Tesla leads by a large margin with its high speed electric engine and AI operated systems.
