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According to the Department of Energy, electric vehicles made up one-third of cars on the road in the early 1900s. The first cars had few, if any, safety features. Most were modeled after horse-drawn carriages, -
By 1905 gasoline cars were more popular than steam or electric cars because they were easier to use and could travel further without adding fuel. By 1910 gasoline cars became larger and more powerful, and some had folding tops to keep drivers and passengers out of the rain. -
In 1920 most cars had been open models, the occupants protected from the weather by canvas-and-isinglass side curtains. The Essex coach, a no-frills two-door sedan introduced in 1922 by the Hudson Motor Car Company, reduced the cost of sheltered motoring to that of a touring car -
Most of the cars produced at the beginning of the decade were squared and had a basic utilitarian appeal, but designers began experimenting with a more rounded teardrop shape during the mid-1930s. By the end of the decade, the look of automobiles had evolved to smoother, sleeker and more aerodynamic designs. -
the new 1940s cars had a lower, longer, broader, and more massive look. Hudson offered a combination automatic clutch with a semi-automatic transmission. -
Cars in the fifties were ornately trimmed with chrome that made bumpers, fenders and hood ornaments sparkle in the sun. Inside the car, chrome window knobs, door handles and dashboards gleamed as well. Another symbol of the cars of the 1950s was the tail fin. -
American cars of the early 1960s were lumbering, chrome-encrusted behemoths. The 1963 Sting Ray, the first of the second-generation (C2) Chevy two-seaters, was shockingly beautiful, lithe, nimble, and, of course, blindingly fast. -
The 1970's was an era that brought cars back to practical and worked to keep America working. The sports cars and muscle cars of the past decades start to fad away to the rise of smaller more fuel efficient cars. New regulations by the federal government put limits on car designs and engine performance on the roads. -
The 1980's are considered to be the darkest time for American muscle cars due to damage done by stricter government regulations, fuel shortages, and regrettable corporate planning. Nevertheless, vehicles like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro continued to soldier through the Malaise Era. -
Cars were getting faster and better looking in the 1990's, but they were also getting more niche. Big powerful military spin off vehicles like the H-1 Hummer is born in the 1990's showing off these new more powerful engines in a different way - ultimate off-roading (or grocery shopping). -
The 2000s gave us some great new design. At the forefront of these are carbon-fiber cars like the Enzo, Carrera GT and SLR. It also gave us a totally new car in a different league to everything else. The Hypercar was a distinctly 2000s decade invention, with the Bugatti Veyron the first of the new hypercar cars. -
Iconic vehicles like the Ford F-150, Honda Civic, and Toyota Camry stepped up their game. At the same time, the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan LEAF, and Tesla Model S ushered electrification into a world once dominated by the internal combustion engine. -
2024-model-year release dates will vary by make and model. For example, the Honda CR-V is typically introduced in the fall, whereas the Hyundai Tucson is usually released in the summer. The earliest 2024 models will most likely go on sale sometime in the spring of 2023, while others may not be released till 2024.