Editing Vehicle (section)

== History ==
It is estimated by historians that boats have been used since [[prehistory]]; [[Rock art|rock paintings]] depicting boats, dated from around 50,000 to 15,000 BC, were found in [[Australia]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Strong |first1=Steven |last2=Strong |first2=Evan |title=Out of Australia: Aborigines, the Dreamtime, and the Dawn of the Human Race |publisher=Red Wheel/Weiser |year=2017 |isbn=978-1612833934 |pages=9–10}}</ref> The oldest boats found by archaeological excavation are [[logboat]]s, with the oldest logboat found, the [[Pesse canoe]] found in a bog in the Netherlands, being [[carbon dated]] to 8040–7510 BC, making it 9,500–10,000 years old,<ref name="courant">{{cite news | url=http://www.archeoforum.nl/Pesse10.html | title=Oudste bootje ter wereld kon werkelijk varen | work=Leeuwarder Courant | date=12 April 2001 | agency=ANP | language=nl |access-date=4 December 2011}}</ref><ref name="BeukerNiekus">{{cite news | url=http://www.archeoforum.nl/Pesse1.html | title=De Kano Van Pesse - De Bijl Erin | work=De Nieuwe Drentse Volksalmanak | year=1997 | access-date=4 December 2011 | language=nl | author=Beuker, J.R. and M.J.L.Th. Niekus}}</ref><ref name="McGrail431">
{{cite book
  | last = McGrail
  | first = Sean
  | title = Boats of the World
  | publisher = Oxford University Press
  | year = 2001
  | location = Oxford, England, UK
  | page = 6 |isbn= 978-0-19-814468-7
 }}
</ref><ref name="italy2005">{{cite web
  | title = 8,000-year-old dug out canoe on show in Italy
  | publisher = Stone Pages Archeo News
  | url = http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/001511.html
  | access-date = 17 August 2008}}
</ref>
A 7,000 year-old seagoing boat made from reeds and tar has been found in Kuwait.<ref name="Lawler2002">{{cite journal
  | last = Lawler
  | first = Andrew
  | title = Report of Oldest Boat Hints at Early Trade Routes
  | journal = Science
  | volume = 296
  | issue = 5574
  | pages = 1791–1792
  | date = 7 June 2002
  | url = http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/296/5574/1791
  | doi = 10.1126/science.296.5574.1791
  | access-date = 5 May 2008
  | pmid = 12052936| s2cid = 36178755
 | url-access = subscription
  }}</ref>
Boats were used between 4000 -3000 BC in [[Sumer]],<ref name="d1">Denemark 2000, page 208</ref> [[ancient Egypt]]<ref name="McGrail17">
{{cite book
  | last = McGrail
  | first = Sean
  | title = Boats of the World
  | publisher = Oxford University Press
  | year = 2001
  | location = Oxford, UK
  | pages = 17–18
  | isbn = 978-0-19-814468-7
 }}
</ref> and in the Indian Ocean.<ref name="d1" />

There is evidence of [[camel]] pulled wheeled vehicles about 4000–3000 BC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/06/26/wheeled-vehicle-camel.html |title=DSC.discovery.com |publisher=DSC.discovery.com |date=26 June 2009 |access-date=8 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015144728/http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/06/26/wheeled-vehicle-camel.html |archive-date=15 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
The earliest evidence of a [[wagonway]], a predecessor of the railway, found so far was the {{convert|6|to|8.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long ''[[Diolkos]]'' wagonway, which transported boats across the [[Isthmus of Corinth]] in Greece since around 600 BC.<ref name="wagonway">*Verdelis, Nikolaos: "Le diolkos de L'Isthme", ''Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique'', Vol. 81 (1957), pp. 526–529 (526)
*Cook, R. M.: "Archaic Greek Trade: Three Conjectures 1. The Diolkos", ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'', Vol. 99 (1979), pp. 152–155 (152)
*Drijvers, J.W.: "Strabo VIII 2,1 (C335): Porthmeia and the Diolkos", ''Mnemosyne'', Vol. 45 (1992), pp. 75–76 (75)
*Raepsaet, G. & Tolley, M.: "Le Diolkos de l'Isthme à Corinthe: son tracé, son fonctionnement", ''Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique'', Vol. 117 (1993), pp. 233–261 (256)</ref><ref name="Lewis, M. J. T. (2001), 11" /> Wheeled vehicles pulled by men and animals ran in grooves in [[limestone]], which provided the track element, preventing the wagons from leaving the intended route.<ref name="Lewis, M. J. T. (2001), 11">{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=M. J. T. |chapter-url=http://www.sciencenews.gr/docs/diolkos.pdf |chapter=Railways in the Greek and Roman world |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721083013/http://www.sciencenews.gr/docs/diolkos.pdf |archive-date=21 July 2011 |editor-last=Guy |editor-first=A. |editor2-last=Rees |editor2-first=J. |title=Early Railways. A Selection of Papers from the First International Early Railways Conference |year=2001 |pages=8–19 |volume=11 |publisher=[[University of Hull]] }}</ref>

In 200 CE, [[Ma Jun (mechanical engineer)|Ma Jun]] built a [[south-pointing chariot]], a vehicle with an early form of guidance system.<ref>{{cite web| title = 200 AD – MA JUN| publisher = B4 Network| url = http://www.b4-network.com/?p=45| access-date = 21 July 2011| archive-date = 26 December 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111226025348/http://www.b4-network.com/?p=45| url-status = dead}}</ref>
<!--<ref>Needham, Volume 4, Part 2, 288.</ref>-->
The [[stagecoach]], a four-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses, originated in 13th century England.<ref name="Johnson 2015">{{cite web | last=Johnson | first=Ben | title=The Stagecoach | website=Historic UK | date=2015-07-09 | url=https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Stagecoach/ | access-date=2023-04-07}}</ref>

Railways began reappearing in Europe after the [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]]. The earliest known record of a railway in Europe from this period is a stained-glass window in the [[Freiburg Minster|Minster of Freiburg im Breisgau]] dating from around 1350.<ref name="GrandExperiment">{{cite book |last=Hylton |first=Stuart |title=The Grand Experiment: The Birth of the Railway Age 1820–1845 |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |year=2007}}</ref>
In 1515, [[Matthäus Lang|Cardinal Matthäus Lang]] wrote a description of the [[Reisszug]], a [[funicular|funicular railway]] at the [[Hohensalzburg Fortress]] in Austria. The line originally used wooden rails and a [[hemp]] haulage rope and was operated by human or animal power, through a [[treadwheel]].<ref>{{cite news | first = Reinhard | last = Kriechbaum | url = http://www.die-tagespost.de/Archiv/titel_anzeige.asp?ID=8916 | title = Die große Reise auf den Berg | work = der Tagespost | date = 15 May 2004 | access-date = 22 April 2009 | language = de | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120628225245/http://www.die-tagespost.de/Archiv/titel_anzeige.asp?ID=8916 | archive-date = 28 June 2012 | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="fm1">{{cite web | url = http://www.funimag.com/funimag10/RESZUG01.HTM | title = Der Reiszug&nbsp;– Part 1&nbsp;– Presentation | publisher = Funimag | access-date = 22 April 2009}}</ref>
1769: [[Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot]] is often credited with building the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile in 1769.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/145966/Nicolas-Joseph-Cugnot | title=Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot &#124; Facts, Invention, & Steam Car}}</ref>

In Russia, in the 1780s, [[Ivan Kulibin]] developed a human-pedalled, three-wheeled carriage with modern features such as a [[flywheel]], [[brake]], [[Transmission (mechanical device)|gear box]] and [[Bearing (mechanical)|bearings]]; however, it was not developed further.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aboutmycar.com/category/car_history/creation_history/automobile-invention-1122.htm |title=Automobile Invention |publisher=Aboutmycar.com |access-date=27 October 2008 |archive-date=10 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810153754/http://www.aboutmycar.com/category/car_history/creation_history/automobile-invention-1122.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1783, the [[Montgolfier brothers]] developed the first [[Balloon (aircraft)|balloon]] vehicle.

In 1801, [[Richard Trevithick]] built and demonstrated his ''Puffing Devil'' road locomotive, which many believe was the first demonstration of a steam-powered road vehicle, though it could not maintain sufficient steam pressure for long periods and was of little practical use.
In 1817, The [[Dandy horse|Laufmaschine]] ("running machine"), invented by the German [[Freiherr|Baron]] [[Karl Drais|Karl von Drais]], became the first human means of transport to make use of the [[Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics|two-wheeler principle]]. It is regarded as the forerunner of the modern bicycle (and motorcycle).<ref name="CSTM">{{cite web
| title = Canada Science and Technology Museum: Baron von Drais' Bicycle
| year = 2006
| url = http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/cycles2.cfm
| access-date = 23 December 2006
| archive-date = 29 December 2006
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061229213036/http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/cycles2.cfm
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>
In 1885, [[Karl Benz]] built (and subsequently patented) the [[Benz Patent-Motorwagen]], the first automobile, powered by his own [[Four-stroke engine|four-stroke cycle gasoline engine]].

In 1885, [[Otto Lilienthal]] began experimental [[gliding (flight)|gliding]] and achieved the first sustained, controlled, reproducible flights.
In 1903, the [[Wright brothers]] flew the [[Wright Flyer]], the first controlled, powered aircraft, in [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina]].
In 1907, [[Breguet-Richet Gyroplane|Gyroplane No.I]] became the first tethered [[rotorcraft]] to fly. The same year, the [[Cornu helicopter]] became the first rotorcraft to achieve free flight.<ref name="Munson">Munson 1968</ref>

In 1928, [[Opel]] initiated the [[Opel-RAK]] program, the first large-scale [[rocket]] program. The [[Opel RAK.1]] became the first [[rocket car]]; the following year, it also became the first [[rocket-powered aircraft]].
In 1961, the [[Soviet space program]]'s [[Vostok 1]] carried [[Yuri Gagarin]] into space.
In 1969, [[NASA]]'s [[Apollo 11]] achieved the first [[Moon landing]].

In 2010, the number of [[motor vehicle]]s in operation worldwide surpassed 1 billion, roughly one for every seven people.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://wardsauto.com/ar/world_vehicle_population_110815/ | title=World Vehicle Population Tops 1 Billion Units | access-date=27 August 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827104934/http://wardsauto.com/ar/world_vehicle_population_110815/ | archive-date=27 August 2011 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref>