The first self-propelled vehicle was a steam-powered tractor built in 1769
The 'fardier à vapeur', built in 1769, was the world's first self-propelled vehicle, using a massive steam boiler to transport heavy artillery at walking speed.
In 1769, French engineer Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot created the first automobile: a three-wheeled, steam-powered tractor designed to haul four tons of cannons. The vehicle was powered by two vertical cylinders that expanded steam at a pressure of five bar, driving the front wheel via a simple ratchet system. Because the boiler was positioned far out in front, the 'fardier' was notoriously difficult to steer and famously crashed into a stone wall during a demonstration, recording the world's first motor vehicle accident.
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