The typical vehicle has an internal combustion engine, although in 2001, hybrid cars powered by gas-electric hybrid engines began to enter the market. Other vehicles run on electricity and fuel cells, though these are not widely available as of 2004.

While most cars have four wheels, three-wheeled automobiles have also been built, but are not common due to stability problems. Some gyrocar, two wheeled automobiles have been built as well, using gyroscopic stabilization.

Steam-powered self propelled vehicles were devised in the late 18th century. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot successfully demonstrated such a vehicle as early as 1769.

The first vehicles were steam engine powered, then electric vehicles were produced by a small number of manufacturers. In the 1890s, ethanol was the first fuel used by cars in the U.S.

In 1919, alcohol Prohibition destroyed corn-alcohol stills which many farmers used to make low cost ethanol fuel. Later on gasoline and diesel engines were implemented.