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In the early years, steam engines and electric motors were tried, but with limited success. In the 20th century, the internal combustion engine (ICE), became dominant. In 2015, the internal combustion engine remains the most widely used but a resurgence of electricity seems likely because of increasing concern about ic engine exhaust gas emissions.
The automobile self starter was an early engine system to use this. Lighting, which had previously been provided by kerosene lamps or gas lamps, was one of the first common electrical accessories. Early systems used 6 volts, but 12 volts became the standard because it provided greater power with less current.
The ignition system of an internal combustion engines depends on the type of engine and the fuel used. Petrol engines are typically ignited by a precisely timed spark, and diesel engines by compression heating. Historically, outside flame and hot-tube systems were used, see hot bulb engine.
These may involve the choice of major engine components or systems, such as the use of dry sump lubrication system over a wet sump system. Alternately, this can be effected through substitution of minor components available as aftermarket modifications, such as exchanging a directly engine-driven fan for one equipped with a fan clutch or an ...
Fiat S.p.A., now known as Stellantis, launched MultiAir in 2009, employing a proprietary electro-hydraulic system to precisely control air intake without a throttle valve [3] to increase engine power and torque, reduce fuel consumption, reduce emissions, and improve engine operation, offering "a more controllable flow of air during the ...
Such systems are used for many internal combustion engines in other applications. In aeronautical applications, the systems are known as "FADECs" (Full Authority Digital Engine Controls). This kind of electronic control is less common in piston-engined light fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters than in automobiles.
The earliest electronic systems available as factory installations were vacuum tube car radios, starting in the early 1930s.The development of semiconductors after World War II greatly expanded the use of electronics in automobiles, with solid-state diodes making the automotive alternator the standard after about 1960, and the first transistorized ignition systems appearing in 1963.
The Daimler Reitwagen used a hot-tube ignition system and the fuel known as Ligroin to become the world's first vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. It used a four-stroke engine based on Otto's design. The following year, Karl Benz produced a four-stroke engined automobile that is regarded as the first car. [3]