A vehicle is any device used to transport people or goods. This means that the word vehicle is a general term, since it does not specify what type of transport we are talking about. In other words, we have to specify what type of vehicle we are talking about (maritime, non-motorized, land or space vehicle).
The means of transportation
If we understand all the means of transportation within a set, we can use the word vehicle.
The need to move or take things to other places is the general principle of all means of transportation. Since the invention of the wheel until the space age, human beings have not stopped creating all kinds of machines with the purpose of seeking new territories or in order to travel for fun or simply to trade and take products to other places.
Each vehicle or means of transport has a specific function. If we want to go to a nearby place and enjoy the landscape, the bicycle is a good option. If the objective is to send goods, it is preferable to use the train, ship or plane. In urban life, vehicles such as the bus, the subway or the car are used. If a person has a physical disability, they can use an adapted vehicle that allows them to get around. In short, each vehicle has its time and its specific function. In some way, the different vehicles that have appeared are the symbol of a technological revolution, as happened with the train in the 19th century or with the automobile in the 20th century.
In recent years there has been talk of alternative vehicles, which are all those that do not use fuels such as oil or diesel but rather use non-polluting fuels, such as solar or hydrogen vehicles.
The media
The concept of vehicle is not applicable only to different means of transport. In fact, the media is equally a vehicle. Instead of people or goods, the information media act as if they were machines, but in this case machines that convey ideas and knowledge. The potential of the media as vehicles is vast and it is worth remembering some of its possibilities:
1) as tools for education,
2) as a means for people to interact (as with social networks) and
3) as ways to explore the universe.
Photos: iStock - forest_strider / Bartosz Hadyniak
