<Tr> <Th> Axles </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Inventor </Th> <Td> Karl Benz </Td> </Tr> <P> A car (or automobile) is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transportation . Most definitions of car say they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four tires, and mainly transport people rather than goods . Cars came into global use during the 20th century, and developed economies depend on them . The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the modern car when German inventor Karl Benz patented his Benz Patent - Motorwagen . Cars became widely available in the early 20th century . One of the first cars that were accessible to the masses was the 1908 Model T, an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company . Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced animal - drawn carriages and carts, but took much longer to be accepted in Western Europe and other parts of the world . </P> <P> Cars have controls for driving, parking, passenger comfort and safety, and controlling a variety of lights . Over the decades, additional features and controls have been added to vehicles, making them progressively more complex . Examples include rear reversing cameras, air conditioning, navigation systems, and in car entertainment . Most cars in use in the 2010s are propelled by an internal combustion engine, fueled by the combustion of fossil fuels . This causes air pollution and also contributes to climate change and global warming . Vehicles using alternative fuels such as ethanol flexible - fuel vehicles and natural gas vehicles are also gaining popularity in some countries . Electric cars, which were invented early in the history of the car, began to become commercially available in 2008 . </P>

When were the first cars on the road