The automobile can be said to be the greatest invention in modern times, because it increases people’s activity radius and improves travel efficiency. However, early automobiles had high failure rates and loud noises, so many people did not use them. They were optimistic that it could replace horse-drawn carriages, and they all joked that it would not survive for a few days, but the reality slapped these people in the face. Today's cars have become the dominant traffic in this world. Many inventions in automobiles were ridiculed in early applications due to immature technology or people's prejudices, but are now commonly used. Let's take a look. 1. Plastic bumpers
I believe many people still mistakenly think that bumpers are made of steel, because only bumpers that are strong enough can protect the vehicle! In fact, plastic bumpers have been in use since the 1980s. Compared with steel bumpers, they have the following three advantages: 1. Plastic has better elasticity and cushioning, and can protect pedestrians' legs. ; 2. The density of plastic is lower, which plays a lightweight role; 3. The plastic is injection molded, which has better plasticity and is conducive to styling design. At present, plastic bumpers have become very popular, which greatly reduces the probability of pedestrians being injured. It can be said that the change of this material is a great progress in people's civilization! 2. Collapse energy-absorbing body structure
Many people think that the harder the car, the safer it is. This is actually a misunderstanding. In some early car accidents, it can be found that some cars did not suffer much damage , but the people in the car were injured, which shows that the harder the car, the safer it is. In the 1960s and 1970s, collapse energy-absorbing body structures began to be used in automobiles. When a collision occurred, although the appearance of the vehicle looked tragic and was ridiculed by people at the time, the people inside the vehicle were well protected because the collapsed body absorbed a lot of collision energy and reduced the energy transmitted to the vehicle. The essence of car safety is to protect people. The damage to the car during a collision is not as important as life. Today's cars basically adopt this energy-absorbing body structure design. 3. Pneumatic tires
Whether it was the horse-drawn carriage era or the early automobile era, the wheels were made of wood or steel. The bumpiness can be imagined. Later, they were covered with a layer of rubber, but the shock absorption The effect is very limited, and the driving speed is not very fast. Later, Thomas invented the inflatable rubber hollow tire. However, due to the limitations of the technical level at the time, tire blowouts and air leaks often occurred, and they were once rejected by peers and users. However, with the improvement of pneumatic tire technology, the driving speed and comfort of cars have also been greatly improved! Nowadays, most of them are pneumatic tires~
In addition, seat belts, USB interfaces, etc. are also great inventions. Today’s electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology are also at the forefront. I believe that the future will prove the achievements made in technological improvement. All your efforts will be rewarded!