STREAM AND ELECTRICITY were used to power cars until early this century , but neither power source was ideal . Electric cars had to stop frequently to recharge their heavy batteries , and stream cars gave smooth power delivery but but were too complicated for the average motorist to use . A rival power source , the internal combustion engine , was invented in 1860 by Etienne Lenoir . This engine converted the force of a controlled explosion into rotary motion , to turn the wheels of a vehicle .Early variations on the basic model included sleeve values , separately cast cylinder , and the two stroke combustion cycle . Today , many internal combustion engines including the Wankel rotary and diesels , use the four stroke cycle , first demonstrated by Nikolaus Otto in 1876 . The Otto cycle , often described as "suck,squeeze,bang,blow",has proved the best method of ensuring that the engine turn over smoothly and exhaust emission are controlled.
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