Vehicle facts for kids

Many different types of vehicles including carriages, trams, trains, cars, bicycles, balloons, planes, ships, airships and yachts.

A car is a type of vehicle.

A vehicle is a machine to move people and things. A vehicle is not alive. A horse can move people and things, but it is an animal, not a machine or a vehicle.

Types of vehicles

Land vehicles

Some vehicles move on land. Most land vehicles have wheels. Examples of land vehicles are bicycles, cars, motorcycles, and trains.

Land vehicles that are powered by an engine or motor are called motor vehicles.

Some land vehicles, like tanks and snowmobiles, have tracks. These tracks look and work like conveyor belts.

Water vehicles

Some vehicles move on, or in, the water. Examples are boats, ships, and submarines.

Air and space vehicles

Vehicles that move in the sky are called aircraft. Examples are aeroplanes and balloons.

Some vehicles, like the Space Shuttle, can even leave the Earth's orbit and go to outer space.

Power

Vehicles can be propelled by various sources of energy.

• Human muscles. Examples are bicycles and skateboards.
• Engines. Examples are automobiles, ships, and aeroplanes.
• Electricity. Examples are many passenger trains.
• Animals. Examples are carts and chariots.
• Wind. Examples are sailboats and iceboats.
• Some vehicles have no propulsion power. Examples are gliders and balloons.

Images for kids

• 

  Buses are a common form of vehicles used for public transport.

• 

  A Slavic dugout boat from the 10th century

• 

  The most common model of vehicle in the world, the Flying Pigeon bicycle. (2011)

• 

  An electric bike in China (2011)

• 

  A modern scooter in Taiwan.

See also

In Spanish: Vehículo para niños