American car ownership spans several different measures. In 2023, the United States had 285 million registered vehicles, while the 2023 American Community Survey counted 131,332,360 households in its vehicle-availability table; these figures describe different populations and should not be treated as one ownership rate.
Key American Car Ownership Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2023, the United States had 285 million registered vehicles across a resident population of 335 million.
- In 2023, 238 million people in the United States were licensed drivers.
- In 2023, 131,332,360 U.S. households were covered by the ACS household-size-by-vehicles-available table.
- Since 1999, the ACS has used seven vehicle-availability response categories, from None through 6 or more.
- In 2022, all U.S. light-duty vehicles averaged 10,952 miles per vehicle.
- In 2022, all U.S. light-duty vehicles averaged 481 gallons of fuel consumed per vehicle.
- In 2022, all U.S. light-duty vehicles averaged 22.8 miles per gallon.
- In model year 2024, trucks represented 66% of U.S. light-duty new-vehicle production under NHTSA regulatory definitions.
- In model year 2024, truck SUVs accounted for 50% of all U.S. new-vehicle production.
- In model year 2024, average U.S. new-vehicle real-world fuel economy reached 27.2 mpg.
- Through model year 2024, new-vehicle fuel economy improved in 16 of the previous 20 years in the United States.
- Average model year 2024 U.S. new-vehicle fuel economy was 41% higher than in model year 2004.
- Average model year 2023 U.S. new-vehicle real-world CO2 emissions were 319 grams per mile.
- From model year 2004 through model year 2023, new-vehicle CO2 emissions fell 31% in the EPA fleet comparison.
- The combined share of BEVs, PHEVs and fuel-cell vehicles rose from 6.7% of U.S. new-vehicle production in MY2022 to 11.5% in MY2023.
- EPA projected that BEVs, PHEVs and fuel-cell vehicles would reach 14.8% of U.S. new-vehicle production in MY2024.
- In MY2023, EVs and PHEVs together reduced average U.S. new-vehicle CO2 emissions by 38 grams per mile.
- In MY2023, EVs and PHEVs together improved average U.S. new-vehicle fuel economy by 2.2 mpg.
Contents
- Vehicles, drivers and population
- Household vehicle availability
- Vehicle use, fuel and mileage
- Vehicle types and fleet mix
- New-vehicle fuel economy and emissions
- Electric-vehicle adoption
American Car Ownership Statistics: Vehicles, Drivers and Population
The Federal Highway Administration’s annual series places registered vehicles alongside licensed drivers and resident population. It is a national administrative and statistical series, not a household survey.
| Year | Resident population | Licensed drivers | Registered vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 321 million | 218 million | 256 million |
| 2016 | 323 million | 222 million | 269 million |
| 2017 | 325 million | 225 million | 272 million |
| 2018 | 327 million | 227 million | 274 million |
| 2019 | 328 million | 229 million | 276 million |
| 2020 | 329 million | 228 million | 276 million |
| 2021 | 332 million | 233 million | 282 million |
| 2022 | 333 million | 235 million | 283 million |
| 2023 | 335 million | 238 million | 285 million |
The 2023 totals were 335 million residents, 238 million licensed drivers and 285 million registered vehicles. Registered vehicles are not necessarily unique privately owned cars, and the series can include commercial and other vehicle classes represented in FHWA reporting.
The 2022 totals were 333 million residents, 235 million licensed drivers and 283 million registered vehicles. The 2021 totals were 332 million residents, 233 million licensed drivers and 282 million registered vehicles, while 2020 had 329 million residents, 228 million licensed drivers and 276 million registered vehicles.
The 2019 series recorded 328 million residents, 229 million licensed drivers and 276 million registered vehicles. Earlier observations were 327 million residents, 227 million licensed drivers and 274 million registered vehicles in 2018, 325 million residents, 225 million licensed drivers and 272 million registered vehicles in 2017, and 323 million residents, 222 million licensed drivers and 269 million registered vehicles in 2016.
Household Vehicle Availability Data in the American Community Survey
Household ownership is measured differently by the ACS. Its vehicle measure covers passenger cars, vans, and pickup or panel trucks with a one-ton, or 2,000-pound, capacity or less that are kept at home and available to household members; motorcycles and recreational vehicles are excluded.
The 2023 ACS 1-year estimate covered 131,332,360 U.S. households in its household-size-by-vehicles-available table. The table displays a 90% margin of error because it is a sample-based estimate.
| 2023 ACS B08201 displayed value | Households |
|---|---|
| First displayed vehicle-availability category | 11,080,154 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 43,767,847 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 47,919,597 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 18,915,475 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 9,649,287 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 37,840,069 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 6,570,714 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 25,097,582 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 4,801,808 |
| Displayed vehicle-availability category | 964,609 |
Source: 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, B08201 Household Size by Vehicles Available.
The displayed values belong to the Census table’s household-size cross-tab, so the exact B08201 row label should accompany each category when the table is used. The ACS question has used seven response categories ranging from None to 6 or more since 1999; the open-ended top category does not identify exact counts above six vehicles.
These household figures should not be combined directly with FHWA registrations. ACS measures vehicles available at occupied housing units, while FHWA reports registrations, licensed drivers, travel and fuel by vehicle class.
How Americans Use Vehicles: Miles, Fuel and Mileage
FHWA’s 2022 VM-1 national estimates show how annual use differs across vehicle classes. The estimates use state HPMS, fuel, registration and other modeled inputs, so they are not individual owner bills.
| Vehicle class | Miles per vehicle | Fuel per vehicle | Fuel economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light-duty short-wheelbase | 10,881 | 438 gallons | 24.8 mpg |
| Light-duty long-wheelbase | 12,328 | 619 gallons | 18.1 mpg |
| All light-duty vehicles | 10,952 | 481 gallons | 22.8 mpg |
| Single-unit trucks | 19,300 | — | — |
| Combination trucks | 60,205 | — | — |
| All motor vehicles in VM-1 | 11,327 | — | — |
Source: Highway Statistics 2022, Table VM-1: Vehicle Miles of Travel and Related Data.
All light-duty vehicles averaged 10,952 miles and 481 gallons per vehicle in 2022. Short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles averaged 10,881 miles, 438 gallons and 24.8 mpg, compared with 12,328 miles, 619 gallons and 18.1 mpg for long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles.
Single-unit trucks averaged 19,300 miles per vehicle, while combination trucks averaged 60,205 miles. Those FHWA classes include uses that are not equivalent to privately owned pickup households, and the all-motor-vehicle average of 11,327 miles includes multiple vehicle classes.
American Car Ownership Trends by Vehicle Type and Fleet Mix
EPA and NHTSA regulatory categories show that new-vehicle production is weighted toward trucks, a category that includes many SUVs. In model year 2024, cars represented 34% of U.S. light-duty new-vehicle production and trucks represented 66%.
Truck SUVs alone accounted for half of all new-vehicle production in MY2024. This is a production share, not the composition of every vehicle currently on the road.
| MY2024 vehicle group | BEV share | PHEV share |
|---|---|---|
| Car SUVs | 30% | 3% |
| Sedan/wagons | 7% | 1% |
| Truck SUVs | 4% | 4% |
Source: Highlights of the Automotive Trends Report.
Truck-SUV fuel economy rose by 1.0 mpg to 25.7 mpg in MY2024. The EPA figure is an estimated real-world new-vehicle measure, while the regulatory truck category differs from everyday use of the word car.
New-Vehicle Fuel Economy and Emissions Trends
Average MY2024 U.S. new-vehicle real-world fuel economy reached a record 27.2 mpg, although the report identifies MY2024 figures as preliminary in its executive-summary context. Fuel economy improved in 16 of the 20 years ending in MY2024, and the average was 41% higher than in MY2004.
Without BEVs and PHEVs, MY2024 average new-vehicle fuel economy would have been 1.7 mpg lower. This is a fleet counterfactual, not a prediction of every owner’s realized mileage.
EPA reported average MY2023 new-vehicle real-world CO2 emissions of 319 grams per mile and fuel economy of 27.1 mpg. CO2 emissions were 18 grams per mile lower than in MY2022, while fuel economy increased by 1.1 mpg.
From MY2004 through MY2023, new-vehicle CO2 emissions fell 31%, or 142 grams per mile, while fuel economy rose 40%, or 7.8 mpg. Without BEVs and PHEVs, MY2023 average new-vehicle CO2 emissions would have been 38 grams per mile higher.
Sources: Highlights of the Automotive Trends Report and 2024 EPA Automotive Trends Report: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Fuel Economy, and Technology since 1975 Executive Summary.
EPA’s real-world values are estimated from additional laboratory tests and are not direct measurements of every owner’s vehicle or a household ownership-cost estimate.
Electric-Vehicle Adoption in American Car Ownership Statistics
Electrified-vehicle figures in the EPA reports describe new-vehicle production, not registrations or household ownership. The combined BEV, PHEV and fuel-cell share rose from 6.7% of production in MY2022 to 11.5% in MY2023, and EPA projected 14.8% for MY2024 based on manufacturer-provided projected production.
BEVs fell from 10% of all new vehicles in MY2023 to 7% in preliminary MY2024 production data. The decline in this production share should not be read as a decline in the on-road ownership share.
In MY2023, EVs and PHEVs together reduced average new-vehicle CO2 emissions by 38 grams per mile and improved average new-vehicle fuel economy by 2.2 mpg. These are EPA fleet comparisons, not lifecycle-emissions estimates or household charging-cost measures.
| MY2024 vehicle type | Electrified contribution to fuel economy |
|---|---|
| Car SUVs | 9.0 mpg higher because of BEV and PHEV content |
| Sedan/wagons | 1.8 mpg higher because of BEV and PHEV content |
| Truck SUVs | 1.0 mpg higher because of BEV and PHEV content |
| Minivans/vans | 0.6 mpg higher because of PHEV content |
| Pickups | 0.3 mpg higher because of BEV content |
Source: Highlights of the Automotive Trends Report.
EPA reported that Tesla’s all-electric fleet had the highest large-manufacturer new-vehicle fuel economy in MY2024 at 117.1 mpg, an mpg-equivalent fleet metric rather than gasoline fuel consumption. GM’s large-manufacturer new-vehicle fuel economy was 22.9 mpg in MY2024; that manufacturer fleet is not Chevrolet-only ownership.