People in the 1800s didn't know what to think about a new invention called the automobile.
No one was sure it would catch on. In those days, people often travelled in carriages pulled by horses. So when the first automobiles appeared, people nicknamed them “horseless carriages.”
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| Benz "Velo" model (1894) by German inventor Carl Benz – entered into an early automobile race as a motocycle | Photo credit Softeis |
The first cars were built in the 1700s. They were powered by steam engines. In England, steam-powered cars weren't allowed on the roads. They were run like trains on private railroad tracks!
Many people believe hybrid cars could be a big help in reducing pollution. Hybrid cars are automobiles that run partly on gasoline and partly on some other fuel.
Most hybrid cars use electricity from batteries. Scientists are also experimenting with hybrids that run on energy from sunlight and other sources.
