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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 4-12: Light Duty Vehicle, Long Wheel Base Fuel Consumption and Travel

Friday, July 22, 2016

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  1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 (R) 2013 2014
Number registered (thousands) 14,211 20,418 27,876 37,214 48,275 53,033 57,091 59,994 62,904 65,738 69,134 70,224 71,330 75,356 79,085 84,188 85,011 87,187 91,845 95,337 99,125 39,187 39,685 40,488 40,242 50,319 50,589 51,513 52,600
Vehicle-miles traveled (millions) 123,000 201,000 291,000 391,000 575,000 649,000 707,000 746,000 765,000 790,000 816,540 850,739 868,275 901,022 923,059 943,207 966,034 984,094 1,027,164 1,041,051 1,082,490 586,618 605,456 617,534 622,712 604,175 601,232 603,307 638,484
Fuel consumed (million gallons) 12,313 19,081 23,796 27,363 35,611 38,217 40,929 42,851 44,112 45,605 47,354 49,388 50,462 52,859 52,939 53,522 55,220 60,758 63,417 58,869 60,685 36,910 34,925 35,711 36,251 35,335 35,114 35,159 37,343
Average miles traveled per vehicle (thousands) 8.7 9.8 10.4 10.5 11.9 12.2 12.4 12.4 12.2 12.0 11.8 12.1 12.2 12.0 11.7 11.2 11.4 11.3 11.2 10.9 10.9 15.0 15.3 15.3 15.5 12.0 11.9 11.7 12.1
Average miles traveled per gallon 10.0 10.5 12.2 14.3 16.1 17.0 17.3 17.4 17.3 17.3 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.0 17.4 17.6 17.5 16.2 16.2 17.7 17.8 15.9 17.3 17.3 17.2 17.1 17.1 17.2 17.1
Average fuel consumed per vehicle (gallons) 866 935 854 735 738 721 717 714 701 694 685 703 707 701 669 636 650 697 690 617 612 942 880 882 901 702 694 683 710

KEY: R = revised.

NOTES

Data for 2007-13 was calculated using a new methodology for light duty vehicles and motorcycles developed by FHWA. Data for these years are based on new categories and are not comparable to previous years. The new category Light duty vehicle, long wheel base includes large passenger cars, vans, pickup trucks, and sport/utility vehicles with wheelbases (WB) larger than 121 inches. The new category Light duty vehicle, short wheel base is found in table 4-11 and includes passenger cars, light trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles with a wheelbase (WB) equal to or less than 121 inches. This edition of 4-12 is not comparable to editions from 2009 or earlier.

For 1993-2006, nearly all vehicles in this category are light trucks, which include vans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. In 1995, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration revised its vehicle categories beginning with 1993 data. The new categories were passenger car, other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck, and combination truck. Prior to 1993, some minivans and sport utility vehicles were included under the passenger car category.

SOURCES

1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of Mar. 23, 2009.

1995-2014: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of May 5, 2016.