Car
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A car (also called an automobile) is something that moves us from one place to another. It has an engine, 3 or 4 wheels and a steering wheel. Some have many wheels: big trucks that carry heavy things have up to 18 wheels. Cars come in many shapes and sizes. They usually have a seat for the driver and at least one passenger, but some are also able to carry many passengers, like buses and family station wagons, which carry from 8 to 60 people.
The car is the most common way of getting around in many countries, but poor countries normally use public transport, such as buses and taxis. In order for a car to move, it must be filled with a fuel, most often gasoline, which is also called petrol. Some other cars must be filled with diesel fuel; others use natural gas or electricity. In order for a person to drive a car legally they must have a valid drivers license. Usually people who are over 18 can apply for one, but they have to pass certain tests first.
In recent years new lightweight ideas for cars have been developed to make up for the weight increase due to comfort and safety issues. Aspects of material selection and innovative concepts of car construction using light weight materials help to meet economical and environmental requirements as well as demands for enhanced driving comfort. New alloys have been developed for the increasing demands in higher strength and better formability for light weighting and crash worthiness aspects. The specific advances of aluminium products as castings, extrusions and sheet are typical examples for successful solutions in the most advanced and competitive technolgy market.
