What name is given to Leonardo da Vinci’s spring-powered vehicle that could move without a horse?

Leonardo da Vinci’s spring-powered vehicle is known as the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo designed the cart around 1478–1480. Large coiled springs stored energy and released it through a system of gears and mechanisms connected to the wheels. The vehicle was probably intended for theatrical performances or court spectacles rather than ordinary transportation.

The cart could be programmed to follow a predetermined route through adjustable parts of its steering mechanism. Because its movement came from stored spring energy rather than an animal, it is often described as an early ancestor of the automobile or robot. It was not powered by an engine in the modern sense.

A full-scale replica demonstrated in 2006 showed that the basic concept could work. The original design was not a mass-production vehicle, and its limited stored energy would have made it unsuitable for long journeys.