The internal combustion engine is centuries behind the idea of using energy to create motion. The Greeks and Egyptians were among the ancient societies who created rudimentary devices that produced motion using steam or compressed air. Hero of Alexandria invented the "aeolipile," a steam-powered apparatus that revolved because of the force of releasing steam, in the first century AD. These early prototypes, meanwhile, lacked the functionality and efficiency to be regarded as actual internal combustion engines. The 19th century saw a surge in the development of internal combustion engines as scientists attempted to harness the power of controlled explosions.

A French engineer named Nicéphore Niépce was one of the pioneers. In 1807, he created the "Pyréolophore." An electric spark was used to ignite the fuel in this engine, which was a mixture of gaseous resin and powdered lycopodium. Even though it wasn't profitable, it set the stage for further developments. Significant advances in internal combustion engine technology were made in the early 20th century. German inventor Rudolf Diesel debuted the diesel engine in 1892. It used compression ignition instead of a spark plug. Diesel engines were perfect for heavy-duty applications because they were more fuel-efficient and produced more torque. Ships, locomotives, and industrial machinery all used diesel engines.

Concurrently, engine efficiency was further increased by the invention of the carburetor, a tool that mixes fuel and air in the right amounts for burning. The first effective carburetor was created in 1902 by Swiss engineer Carl Eduard Buetschi and French engineer Prosper-René Audibert. This allowed for increased power output and fuel economy. The internal combustion engine had a significant social influence in addition to revolutionising transportation. The internal combustion engine revolutionised personal transportation by enabling mass production of automobiles that allowed people to interact with remote communities, discover new places, and commute more quickly.

It changed the travel, industrial, and logistics sectors. The automobile sector emerged as a major employer and engine of economic expansion. Furthermore, internal combustion engines propelled a variety of vehicles other than cars. They moved trains along tracks, planes across the skies, and ships across oceans. These engines made it possible for people and products to move around efficiently, which promoted cross-cultural trade. Concerns over internal combustion engines' effects on the environment have gained prominence in recent decades. Greenhouse gases are produced when fossil fuels are burned in engines, which exacerbates climate change. Furthermore, contaminants that are harmful to human health and air quality are released by engine exhaust.

The development of alternative technologies is receiving more attention as a result of these worries. Fuel cell or battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more popular as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. Hybrid systems, which combine electric motors and internal combustion engines, provide lower pollution and increased efficiency. Globally, businesses and governments are spending money on R&D to switch to greener, cleaner modes of transportation.

According to estimates, the average fuel consumption of spark-ignition (SI) automobiles in the United States might be lowered by up to 50.4%. This would result in a commensurate decrease in CO2 emissions from the exhaust. Particulates, NOx, uHCs, and CO from SI and diesel engines may all be significantly reduced with the help of currently available catalysts and control systems, which are always being improved. Pollutant emissions and combustion-derived CO2 emissions are often described as being completely comparable, meaning that even engines that meet very low thresholds for pollutant emissions (NOx, CO, uHCs, and particulates) are nevertheless considered to be polluting. There's a big difference between the two, both practically and technically. Any burning of hydrocarbons or chemical oxidation activity, including the lives of humans and animals, inevitably results in CO2 emissions.

An engine's CO2 emissions are directly correlated with the amount of hydrocarbon fuel it uses, which is continuously being lowered by technical advancements. Thanks to advanced combustion modes and creative after-treatment systems, such as extensive use of catalysts and high-filtration-efficiency diesel and gasoline particulate filters (D/GPF) in the after-treatment system, the goal of achieving "zero impact emission vehicles" in terms of the pollutants is very close. Additionally, the use of urea injections and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is resulting in extremely low NOx emissions (e.g. 0.02 g/bhp-h or 15–20 mg/km).

These days, EVs are far ahead of the game. While few hydrogen cars are on the market, major automakers are quickly electrifying their lines. EVs offer a significant benefit. There's already a huge national electrical grid in place. Large obstacles arise from a countrywide switch to electric vehicles, such as the requirement to develop a network of charging stations and produce an abundance of extra (ideally clean!) electricity to run all these cars and trucks. Additionally, a bigger variety of EV models, including the highly favoured large-size vehicles, have been brought by manufacturers into the market, giving buyers a wider choice of vehicles to select from.

Until recently, the only real electric vehicle (EV) options were small cars like sedans and hatchbacks, yet 78% of new car sales were trucks and SUVs. Increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) should also be facilitated by improved vehicle range. The dread of running out of battery power before arriving at a charging station, or range anxiety, has long discouraged people from buying electric vehicles. But with further advancements in battery technology, battery capacity and range should continue to rise. From a median of 68 miles on a single charge in 2011 to 234 miles in 2021, these numbers have significantly increased.

It is also evident that "zero emissions" BEVs will not significantly replace internal combustion engines (IC engines) in commercial transportation due to the size, weight, and expense of the necessary batteries. Until there is a significant advancement in battery technology, the majority of global transportation of goods and services will be powered by combustion engines that run on liquid fuels derived from petroleum for the foreseeable future. Switching to a full gasoline/diesel hybrid from an internal combustion engine (ICE) can cut pollution dramatically. But even if full hybrids become widely available and reasonably priced, it will take decades for them to account for a significant portion of the global vehicle population because of how slowly cars are replaced and turned over.