Picture a sea of nearly 300 million registered vehicles sprawling across America, where trucks now outnumber cars by more than 60 million and the average household owns almost two.
Key Takeaways
- As of 2021, the total number of registered motor vehicles in the United States was 281,040,202.
- In 2022, passenger cars accounted for 109,373,121 registered vehicles in the US.
- Registered trucks in the US reached 171,667,081 in 2021.
- Passenger cars registered: 107,989,569 in 2022.
- Light trucks (under 10,000 lbs): 139,295,512 in 2022.
- SUVs in fleet: 85 million in 2023.
- Total heavy-duty trucks: 12 million Class 3-8 in 2022.
- Class 8 trucks: 2.9 million in 2023.
- Medium-duty trucks (Class 4-7): 5.2 million 2022.
- Total electric vehicles in fleet: 3.1 million in 2023.
- Plug-in hybrids: 1.2 million registered 2023.
- Battery electric vehicles: 1.9 million in 2023.
- Average annual VMT per vehicle: 11,465 miles in 2021.
- Total VMT: 3.23 trillion miles in 2021.
- Passenger car VMT: 1.47 trillion miles 2021.
The vast U.S. vehicle fleet is aging and dominated by trucks and SUVs.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
- Total electric vehicles in fleet: 3.1 million in 2023.
- Plug-in hybrids: 1.2 million registered 2023.
- Battery electric vehicles: 1.9 million in 2023.
- Fuel cell vehicles: 17,000 in US 2023.
- Natural gas vehicles: 175,000 in 2022.
- Propane vehicles: 250,000 registered 2022.
- Biodiesel capable vehicles: 5 million estimated 2023.
- E85 flex-fuel vehicles: 25 million in fleet 2023.
- EV charging ports public: 168,000 in 2023.
- Tesla vehicles in fleet: 2 million in 2023.
- Nissan Leaf cumulative sales: 150,000 in US 2023.
- Chevy Bolt total: 120,000 sold by 2023.
- Alternative fuel vehicles share: 1.5% of fleet 2023.
- EV growth rate: 55% YoY in 2023 registrations.
- Hydrogen refueling stations: 90 in US 2023.
- LNG vehicles: 5,000 in operation 2022.
- Total flex-fuel vehicles: 30 million capable 2023.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles Interpretation
While pure electrics are the flashy new actors and flex-fuel vehicles form the veteran chorus line, America's fleet currently has more alternative-fuel options than a confused diner menu, yet nearly all of it still runs on the old gasoline special.
Commercial Vehicles
- Total heavy-duty trucks: 12 million Class 3-8 in 2022.
- Class 8 trucks: 2.9 million in 2023.
- Medium-duty trucks (Class 4-7): 5.2 million 2022.
- Delivery vans: 8 million in commercial fleet 2023.
- Semi-trucks: 3.5 million tractors 2022.
- School buses: 480,000 in operation 2022.
- Transit buses: 70,000 nationwide 2023.
- Heavy-duty vocational trucks: 4.1 million 2022.
- Commercial fleet average age: 9.8 years 2023.
- Last-mile delivery vehicles: 1.2 million 2023.
- Refrigerated trucks: 250,000 in US 2022.
- Tanker trucks: 80,000 registered 2022.
- Dump trucks: 450,000 in fleet 2023.
- Commercial EV trucks: 15,000 in 2023.
- Natural gas trucks: 25,000 in commercial use 2022.
- Commercial vehicle registrations: 14 million in 2022.
Commercial Vehicles Interpretation
The American economy runs on a geriatric army of 14 million commercial vehicles—where a staggering 12 million heavy-duty trucks deliver everything from frozen peas to asphalt, though only a tiny, plucky vanguard of 40,000 alternative-fuel trucks hints at a less fossilized future.
Overall Fleet Size
- As of 2021, the total number of registered motor vehicles in the United States was 281,040,202.
- In 2022, passenger cars accounted for 109,373,121 registered vehicles in the US.
- Registered trucks in the US reached 171,667,081 in 2021.
- Motorcycles registered in the US totaled 8,904,843 in 2021.
- Buses registered nationwide were 976,402 in 2021.
- The US vehicle fleet grew by 1.7% from 2020 to 2021.
- Households owning at least one vehicle: 91.4% in 2021.
- Average vehicles per household: 1.88 in 2021.
- Total light-duty vehicles: 272 million in 2022.
- Registered vehicles per 1,000 population: 844 in 2021.
- Commercial trucks in fleet: 12.3 million in 2022.
- Total fleet includes 4.2 million RVs in 2023.
- Government-owned vehicles: 4.1 million in 2021.
- Privately owned vehicles: 275 million in 2021.
- Fleet vehicles (company-owned): 40 million estimated in 2022.
- Total registered autos and light trucks: 260 million in 2020.
- Vehicle registrations increased 2% YoY in 2022.
- US has 838 vehicles per 1,000 people globally ranked.
- Total motor vehicles in operation (MVO): 280 million in 2023.
- Scrappage rate of US fleet: 11 million vehicles annually.
- New registrations: 17.2 million in 2022.
- California leads with 31.4 million registered vehicles in 2021.
- Texas second with 20.8 million vehicles in 2021.
- Florida third with 17.5 million in 2021.
- New York with 11.2 million registered vehicles in 2021.
- Average fleet age: 12.5 years in 2023.
- Total passenger vehicles: 115 million in 2022.
- Light truck share of fleet: 64% in 2022.
- Total buses: 1 million including school buses in 2022.
- Off-road vehicles registered: 2.5 million in 2021.
Overall Fleet Size Interpretation
America has clearly taken "one for the road" quite literally, with over 280 million registered vehicles ensuring that nearly every household has its own metal island, while our collective addiction to trucks suggests we're either preparing for an off-road apocalypse or have simply accepted that parking is a competitive sport.
Passenger Vehicles
- Passenger cars registered: 107,989,569 in 2022.
- Light trucks (under 10,000 lbs): 139,295,512 in 2022.
- SUVs in fleet: 85 million in 2023.
- Pickup trucks: 72 million registered in 2022.
- Vans in passenger fleet: 12 million in 2022.
- Sedans/hatchbacks: 45 million in operation 2022.
- Crossover vehicles: 50 million in 2023 fleet.
- Minivans: 6.5 million registered 2021.
- Sports cars registered: 1.2 million in 2022.
- Convertibles: 0.8 million in US fleet 2022.
- Luxury passenger vehicles: 15 million in 2023.
- Compact cars: 25 million in fleet 2022.
- Midsize cars: 20 million registered 2022.
- Full-size cars: 8 million in 2022.
- Passenger vehicles average age: 12.2 years 2023.
- Electric passenger cars: 2.1 million in 2023.
- Hybrid passenger vehicles: 4.5 million 2023.
- Diesel passenger vehicles: 1.1 million 2022.
- Passenger vehicle scrappage: 4 million/year.
Passenger Vehicles Interpretation
America’s love affair with massive, aging trucks and SUVs has us driving a fleet that’s roughly the size of France, Germany, and Italy combined, stubbornly powered by gas, and yet somehow still holding out for a parking spot.
Usage and Mileage
- Average annual VMT per vehicle: 11,465 miles in 2021.
- Total VMT: 3.23 trillion miles in 2021.
- Passenger car VMT: 1.47 trillion miles 2021.
- Light truck VMT: 1.52 trillion miles 2021.
- Average vehicle occupancy: 1.67 persons 2021.
- Daily miles driven per driver: 29.3 miles 2022.
- Commercial truck VMT: 258 billion miles 2021.
- Urban VMT share: 40% of total 2021.
- Rural VMT: 1.1 trillion miles 2021.
- EV average VMT: 11,000 miles/year 2022.
- Average trip length: 10.1 miles 2021.
- Commuting VMT: 27% of total passenger 2021.
- Leisure VMT share: 32% in 2021.
- Delivery VMT growth: 20% since 2019.
- Average fuel economy VMT-weighted: 25.4 mpg 2022.
- Idle time in traffic: 42 hours/year per driver 2022.
- Peak hour VMT: 25% congested 2022.
- Average speed highway: 55 mph 2021.
- Total fleet mileage lifetime average: 150,000 miles.
Usage and Mileage Interpretation
We are a nation perpetually in motion, each driver logging over 11,000 miles a year—largely alone and often idling in congestion—to satisfy an endless cycle of commutes, errands, and leisure trips, all while our penchant for light trucks and soaring delivery traffic continues to shape the landscape and the laws of our roadways.
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