What type of vehicle was Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century self-propelled cart?

Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century self-propelled cart was a clockwork cart.

The design used coiled springs as its power source. When the springs were wound, they could release energy through a system of gears, allowing the cart to move without a person or animal pulling it. The mechanism is therefore often treated as an early example of a programmable or autonomous vehicle.

Leonardo probably designed the cart for use in theatrical performances or court celebrations. Some reconstructions have shown that the mechanism can work, although modern replicas may interpret missing or unclear details from the surviving drawings.

It is not accurate to call the machine a car in the modern automotive sense. It had no combustion engine, battery, or steering system comparable to a modern road vehicle. Its defining feature was the clockwork mechanism that stored energy in springs.