Automotive Engineers

In our car-obsessed society, it is difficult to imagine a time without automobiles. Yet approximately 140 years ago, there were none. In the late 1880s, inventors were beginning to explore the idea of a self-propelled vehicle. Early experiments used steam to power a vehicle's engine. Two German engineers developed the first internal combustion engine fueled by gasoline. Karl Benz finished the first model in 1885, and Gottlieb Daimler, with the help of a young engineer named Wilhelm Maybach, finished building a similar model in 1886. Others around the world had similar successes in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The Society of Automobile Engineers (now known as SAE International) was founded in 1905 to serve the professional interests of automotive engineers and function as a venue for discourse regarding the rapidly growing field. Henry Ford, a young engineer, served as the society's first vice president.

Today, automobiles are infinitely more complex than early vehicles such as the Model T, and automotive engineers continue to remain key players in the automotive industry. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) continue to grow in popularity. In May 2024, EVs and PHEVs made up 8.5 percent of the vehicles sold in the United States, according to Edmunds sales data.