[sammyg2]

At the same time the gasoline powered vehicles were being developed, there were diesel powered vehicles. And steam powered vehicles. And alcohol powered vehicles. I'm not sure but there may have been electric vehicles.
The gasoline powered vehicle succeeded where the others fell by the roadside.
WHY? because it made more sense. it was economical. It was powerful. It was convenient. It was reliable (when compared to some of the others).
Sure you can sit here today and say it was a bad idea, but it succeeded because it was a GOOD idea. It worked better, so they built it. The model T and model A just took it and made it more available to the masses.

Oh, and saying that the automobile is responsible for terrible destruction or damaging the planet is hogwash IMO.
Scare tactics that are politically and monetarily motivated and based on false science, absurd conclusions and assumptions.
The automobile has done much more good for mankind than harm.