Vehicle

Many different types of vehicles including carriages, trams, trains, cars, bicycles, balloons, planes, ships, airships and yachts.

A car is a type of vehicle.

Avehicleis a machine to move people and things. A vehicle is not alive. Ahorsecan move people and things, but it is ananimal,not a machine or a vehicle.

The word vehicle is borrowed from French and Latin. Frenchvéhicule,going back to Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latinvehiculum"medium, agent of transmission," going back to Latin, "wheeled vehicle, means of transport," fromvehere"to carry, convey.

Types of vehicles

Land vehicles

Some vehicles move on land. Most land vehicles havewheels.Examples of land vehicles arebicycles,cars,motorcycles,andtrains.

Land vehicles that are powered by anengine or motorare called motor vehicles.

Some land vehicles, liketanksandsnowmobiles,have tracks. These tracks look and work likeconveyor belts.

Water vehicles

Some vehicles move on, or in, the water. Examples areboats,ships,andsubmarines.

Air and space vehicles

Vehicles that move in the sky are calledaircraft.Examples areaeroplanesandballoons.

Some vehicles, like theSpace Shuttle,can even leave the Earth'sorbitand go toouter space.

Power

Vehicles can bepropelledby various sources of energy.

• Humanmuscles.Examples are bicycles andskateboards.
• Engines.Examples are automobiles, ships, and aeroplanes.
• Electricity.Examples are many passengertrains.
• Animals.Examples arecartsandchariots.
• Wind.Examples aresailboatsandiceboats.

Some vehicles have no propulsion power. Examples aregliders,balloonsand evenfixed tower cranes.