When cars were originally being made and designed, why was “gasoline” used rather than crude oil, especially since it was what came from the Earth?

Question

Cars today run on “gasoline” which has the hydrocarbons that work with the air and make the combustion possible, but why design engines like this, especially since the refining process is so arduous? Would it not have been easier and more logical to try using the crude oil straight from the Earth?

In: 16

Answer 1

There were several types of cars being manufactured in the early days, so the internal combustion engine was only one type. Oil is flammable and helped lubricate the moving parts, but the engines required “small” explosions (it is ELI5) in the piston chambers to drive the cars drive train, etc. oil did not provide that crucial capacity. The oil companies were already producing kerosine for home lighting so it was not arduous to further refine into gasoline, especially as electricity became the dominant source for home illumination

Answer 2

There were several types of cars being manufactured in the early days, so the internal combustion engine was only one type. Oil is flammable and helped lubricate the moving parts, but the engines required “small” explosions (it is ELI5) in the piston chambers to drive the cars drive train, etc. oil did not provide that crucial capacity. The oil companies were already producing kerosine for home lighting so it was not arduous to further refine into gasoline, especially as electricity became the dominant source for home illumination