This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Tom Lawrence
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804), a French inventor who built what many consider to be world's first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile. In 1769, Cugnot built the first of two steam-powered vehicles that were intended to haul artillery pieces for the French Army. The first was called "Fardier à vapeur" ("Steam wagon"). His vehicle was said to be able to pull four tons and travel at speeds of up to four kilometers per hour. The heavy vehicle had two wheels in the back and one in the front, which supported the steam boiler and was steered by a tiller.
Cugnot's Steam Wagon.
The vehicles were unwieldy and could not be kept in steam for more than 20 minutes. One of them crashed into a wall and the other overturned while trying to turn a corner, causing hot embers and boiling water to spill everywhere. Due to these failures, the French government withdrew funding, putting an end to Cugnot's efforts.
Cutler Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Cugnot, Nicolas-Joseph". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 24, 2008; Last revised Date August 24, 2008; Retrieved May 26, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cugnot,_Nicolas-Joseph>
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Editor-in-Chief
The Encyclopedia of Earth Cutler J. Cleveland is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Cleveland is currently a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Boston University, with joint appointments in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies and the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer Range Future. He also is a Senior Fellow at the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington D.C. Dr. Cleveland is als ... (Full Bio)
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804), a French inventor who built what many consider to be world's first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile. In 1769, Cugnot built the first of two steam-powered vehicles that were intended to haul artillery pieces for the French Army. The first was called "Fardier à vapeur" ("Steam wagon"). His vehicle was said to be able to pull four tons and travel at speeds of up to four kilometers per hour. The heavy vehicle had two wheels in the back and one in the front, which supported the steam boiler and was steered by a tiller.
Cugnot's Steam Wagon.
The vehicles were unwieldy and could not be kept in steam for more than 20 minutes. One of them crashed into a wall and the other overturned while trying to turn a corner, causing hot embers and boiling water to spill everywhere. Due to these failures, the French government withdrew funding, putting an end to Cugnot's efforts.
Cugnot's Steam Wagon.
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