Vehicle

[2] This article primarily concerns the more ubiquitous land vehicles, which can be broadly classified by the type of contact interface with the ground: wheels, tracks, rails or skis, as well as the non-contact technologies such as maglev.

[13][14] Wheeled vehicles pulled by men and animals ran in grooves in limestone, which provided the track element, preventing the wagons from leaving the intended route.

[14] In 200 CE, Ma Jun built a south-pointing chariot, a vehicle with an early form of guidance system.

The earliest known record of a railway in Europe from this period is a stained-glass window in the Minster of Freiburg im Breisgau dating from around 1350.

The line originally used wooden rails and a hemp haulage rope and was operated by human or animal power, through a treadwheel.

In 1817, The Laufmaschine ("running machine"), invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais, became the first human means of transport to make use of the two-wheeler principle.

Energy can be extracted from external sources, as in the cases of a sailboat, a solar-powered car, or an electric streetcar that uses overhead lines.

Despite the fact that humans cannot exceed 500 W (0.67 hp) for meaningful amounts of time,[41] the land speed record for human-powered vehicles (unpaced) is 133 km/h (83 mph), as of 2009 on a recumbent bicycle.

Another common medium for storing energy is batteries, which have the advantages of being responsive, useful in a wide range of power levels, environmentally friendly, efficient, simple to install, and easy to maintain.

On the other hand, batteries have low energy densities, short service life, poor performance at extreme temperatures, long charging times, and difficulties with disposal (although they can usually be recycled).

Fuel cells are similar to batteries in that they convert from chemical to electrical energy, but have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Electrified rails and overhead cables are a common source of electrical energy on subways, railways, trams, and trolleybuses.

Nuclear power is a more exclusive form of energy storage, currently limited to large ships and submarines, mostly military.

Systems employing elastic materials suffer from hysteresis, and metal springs are too dense to be useful in many cases.

[57] The mechanical energy that motors and engines produce must be converted to work by wheels, propellers, nozzles, or similar means.

Continuous track has the advantages of a larger contact area, easy repairs on small damage, and high maneuverability.

[46] High-speed trains sometimes use frictionless Eddy-current brakes; however, widespread application of the technology has been limited by overheating and interference issues.

Pilots may even apply full forward throttle on touchdown, in case the arresting gear does not catch and a go around is needed.

Parachutes have been used in land, air and space vehicles such as the ThrustSSC, Eurofighter Typhoon and Apollo Command Module.

A secondary procedure called forward-slip is sometimes used to slow airplanes by flying at an angle, causing more drag.

Under this system, manufacturers can obtain certification for a vehicle type in one Member State if it meets the EC technical requirements and then market it EU-wide with no need for further tests.

The least strict form of regulation usually limits what passengers the driver may carry or prohibits them completely (e.g., a Canadian ultralight license without endorsements).

The most strict form of licensing is generally reserved for school buses, hazardous materials transports and emergency vehicles.

In Russia, trucks and buses have their licence plate numbers repeated in large black letters on the back.

Like motor vehicles and aircraft, watercraft also have registration numbers in most jurisdictions; however, the vessel name is still the primary means of identification as has been the case since ancient times.

[96] FAA experimental aircraft are restricted in operation, including no overflights of populated areas, in busy airspace, or with unessential passengers.

[95] Materials and parts used in FAA certified aircraft must meet the criteria set forth by the technical standard orders.

In the case of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, the life jackets saved many people but also led to many deaths when passengers inflated their vests prematurely.

While the same rule generally applies in all jurisdictions, some countries, such as Cuba and Russia, have taken advantage of air rights on a national level to earn money.

In the case of Korean Air Lines Flight 007, the airliner entered prohibited airspace over Soviet territory and was shot down as it was leaving.