This Design and technology scheme of work Year 4 pupil video traces the history of cars, from the horse and cart to Nicholas Joseph Cugnot’s steam-powered vehicle in 1769. Key milestones include Karl Benz’s petrol-powered car in 1886 and Henry Ford’s assembly line, which made cars widely accessible. The video covers advances such as the electric starter motor, the introduction of seat belts for safety, and modern developments like hybrid and electric vehicles. It finishes with a look at self-driving technology.

This video describes key design improvements in the history of the automobile, preparing the children to build and evaluate their own simple car prototypes.

See more of our Year 4 Design and technology scheme of work.

• Design and technology, Year 4, Mechanical systems, Option 1: *New* Mechanical cars, Lesson 1: Prototype one: Inclined plane.
• Design and technology, Year 4, Mechanical systems, Option 1: *New* Mechanical cars.