Auto terms A to Z

What do these phrases really mean?

Confounded by automotive terminology? Confused by acronyms and carcentric expressions? Check our handy glossary for easy to understand explanations.

A drive system that can switch between 4- wheel- drive and 2- wheel- drive, therefore improving fuel efficiency.

Similar to fibreglass, it is a strong, lightweight material that is used to construct a vehicle’s bodyshell and/or chassis.

The area of a vehicle’s body that is designed to collapse in the event of an accident, absorbing kinetic energy and protecting the occupants.

The change in volume that the piston produces as it moves up or down in the cylinder.

The Electronic Brakeforce Distribution system automatically adjusts braking pressure for each wheel in order to improve a vehicle’s braking abilities.

A cell producing an electric current directly from a chemical reaction. It converts hydrogen and oxygen into water producing heat and electricity in the process. Fuel cell vehicles use the electricity that is generated to power a car via electric motors.

An imperial unit of power equal to 550 footpounds per second. One horsepower would be equal to raising 330 pounds, 100 feet in the air in one minute, or 33 pounds, 1,000 feet in the air in one minute.

Refers to a device that squirts or injects a measured amount of fuel into the intake of the engine.

A mechanical brake that locks either the front or rear wheels. The parking brake is separate from a vehicle’s normal braking system.