In this blog post, we’ll explore the structure, history, classifications, and social impact of the automobile.
The automobile is the mode of transportation most deeply embedded in Korean society. Every morning, Seoul is blanketed with cars used by commuters, and every night, yellow headlights and red taillights illuminate the cityscape between buildings. Many children spend their days engrossed in cartoons featuring car characters, while adults purchase cars either out of necessity or as a symbol of wealth. Statistically, as of December 2015, the number of registered vehicles in South Korea stood at approximately 20.99 million. Considering that there are 21.01 million households in the country, it can be concluded that nearly every household uses a car. Furthermore, according to 2015 trade statistics compiled by the Korea International Trade Association, automobile exports totaled $45.7 billion, ranking second among export items—a clear indication that automobiles exert a significant influence on the Korean economy.
In light of these facts, almost every Korean knows what a car is. However, when asked to explain what a car is, many people cannot provide a description beyond the simple phrase “a vehicle that moves automatically.” According to the Standard Korean Dictionary, an automobile is a vehicle equipped with an engine that drives its wheels, enabling it to move on land without relying on railroad tracks or other fixed lines; a vehicle is a machine designed to transport people or cargo by rolling on wheels. Therefore, a general understanding of automobiles can be seen as beginning with an understanding of the structure—including the power source—that enables them to move automatically, rather than with their history, types, or related industries.
All automobiles have a power source called an engine; most engines consist of a mechanism made up of pistons that move up and down within cylinders, connected to a crankshaft that rotates. This engine repeats four stages—intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust—and generates the power to rotate the wheels by converting fuel into the rotational energy of the crankshaft. Looking at the four-stroke cycle: first, during the intake stroke, a mixture of fuel and air is injected into the empty space created in the cylinder as the piston moves downward. Next, as the piston moves upward, the fuel and air are compressed; this leads to the combustion stroke, where the fuel ignites due to an electrical spark from the spark plug inside the cylinder, causing an explosion. When the explosion occurs inside the cylinder, the piston is forced downward. Since the piston is connected to the crankshaft, it does not stop at the bottom but continues to rise, expelling the byproducts of the explosion out of the cylinder. Fuel is then drawn in again, repeating the same cycle, which ultimately generates power. In modern automobile engines, there are typically between 4 and 16 cylinders—depending on the type of vehicle—that undergo this process.
Although a car derives its propulsive force from the engine, the engine alone is not sufficient for the car to operate properly. For a car to function normally, it requires wheels, a powertrain, a steering system, a suspension system, and a braking system. The kinetic energy generated by the engine is transmitted to the wheels via the drivetrain at the required speed. As the wheels turn, the steering system directs the car’s path in the direction the driver intends. While driving, the car experiences shocks caused by various factors, such as road conditions, which are absorbed by the suspension system. Finally, when the driver reaches their destination or needs to stop suddenly, the braking system reduces speed and brings the car to a halt.
When a body—which protects these components and allows the driver to ride inside—is mounted on a chassis where these systems work together properly, the automobile as we generally know it is complete.
The automobile was not invented from the start with the complex and perfect structure it has today. Unlike inventions such as the light bulb or the telephone, where it is clear who invented them and when, there is no single person credited with inventing the complete automobile. A car is not a single technology but a system created by the interweaving of complex technologies, and this system has been constantly evolving. While the origins of the automotive system can be traced back to ancient concepts such as Leonardo da Vinci’s wind-up car, the steam-powered car created by French officer Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is considered the precursor to vehicles designed to transport people or cargo. This steam-powered vehicle, which had an external steam engine, looked very different from today’s cars. Cars resembling those of today began to develop following the invention of the internal combustion engine in the 19th century, and in 1886, Karl Friedrich Benz invented a gasoline-powered tricycle, marking the beginning of automobiles equipped with engines similar to those used today.
In the 1910s, American engineer and entrepreneur Henry Ford introduced the conveyor belt system into the automobile manufacturing process, enabling mass production and leading to the popularization of the automobile; consequently, numerous companies around the world began manufacturing a wide variety of vehicles. Each company produced many types of automobiles with different body styles, reflecting their unique characteristics, priorities, and the needs of customers and society. These vehicles are broadly classified by function into passenger cars, trucks, vans, and specialty vehicles. Passenger cars are the most common type of vehicle. Depending on their body style, they are classified into sedans—which have four doors and distinct engine, passenger, and trunk compartments—station wagons—where the roof extends over the trunk—coupes—which have one door on each side and a low roofline—and hatchbacks—which have no distinction between the passenger compartment and the trunk. Commercial vehicles include vans with spacious cargo compartments, small pickup trucks with open cargo beds, and dump trucks with large, covered cargo beds. Passenger vans are divided into small family vans and large passenger vans such as city buses and intercity buses. Special-purpose vehicles refer to models designed for specific purposes, such as patrol cars, snowplows, and fire trucks.
As automobiles have become more widespread through the diversification of vehicle types and mass production, over 1 billion vehicles are now registered and in operation worldwide. The proliferation of automobiles has contributed to improving the quality of life for humanity by facilitating the movement of people and goods and promoting the growth of various industries; however, it has also led to traffic problems such as traffic accidents, traffic congestion, and noise, as well as environmental pollution caused by exhaust emissions from fuel consumption. Car accidents have occurred since the days of Quino’s steam-powered automobile and remain a serious problem to this day. They occur due to two fundamental reasons: driver error and the vehicle’s braking distance. Despite various improvements—such as the widespread use of seat belts, enhanced brake performance, and ongoing safety inspections—it is reported that approximately 10,000 people die in traffic accidents annually in South Korea, while approximately 40,000 people die each year in both the United States and Europe. Furthermore, the annual death toll tends to rise in countries where car ownership is expanding, such as China and India.
Air pollution and environmental destruction caused by vehicle exhaust emissions and pollutants generated during the manufacturing process are extremely serious.
To prevent greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles from accelerating global warming, research is underway to replace the fuels used in existing vehicles with alternatives to fossil fuels, and vehicles that use various fuels are being developed. For example, diesel vehicles can run on 100% pure biodiesel, and some gasoline-powered vehicles can use a fuel blend of ethanol—extracted from plant-based sugars—and gasoline. In South Korea, blended diesel—a mixture of 5% biodiesel and regular diesel—has been available for sale since July 1, 2006, and some countries have regulations requiring city buses and heavy-duty trucks to use only biodiesel. In addition, automakers around the world have developed hybrid vehicles that use both electricity and gasoline to achieve high fuel efficiency, and are working toward the commercialization of vehicles powered by eco-friendly energy sources, such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and solar-powered vehicles.
Automobiles, which began to be manufactured in earnest in the late 18th century, have solved many problems while simultaneously creating unexpected new ones, becoming deeply embedded in our lives. As a system—rather than a single technology—the automobile has constantly evolved, significantly influencing other industries while also being shaped by them. Just as it has solved various problems in the past, the automotive system continues to undergo constant change, much like a living organism adapting to its environment, in order to create better vehicles today.
