Factsheets

The predominant mode of travel in the U.S. is automobiles and light trucks, accounting for 86% of passenger miles traveled in 2024.¹ Rail is 6.7% of passenger-miles in the European Union and 0.5% in the U.S.²⁸ The U.S. has just over 4% of the world’s population, but owns 11% of the world’s cars.^2,3 By comparison, China owns 20%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, and Russia 5%.³ Since 1990, China (18%), India (9.8%), and Indonesia (9.6%) have seen the highest average annual growth in registered cars.³ Transportation use patterns indicate that the current system is unsustainable.⁴

Patterns of Use

Miles Traveled

• In 2024, Americans traveled 5.2T person-miles.¹
• From 1980 to 2024, the U.S. population grew 49%,^5,6 while vehicle miles traveled (VMT) rose by 116%.¹
• 69% of VMT occurred in urban areas in 2024.¹

Vehicles and Occupancy

• U.S. average vehicle occupancy declined from 1.87 persons per vehicle mile in 1977 to 1.5 in 2019.^3,7
• In 2024, the U.S. had 297M registered vehicles and 240M licensed drivers.¹
• In 2022, 21% of U.S. households had ≥3 vehicles, 4% less than in 2017,^8,9 and 8.4% of households had no vehicles.⁹

Average Fuel Economy

• New vehicle fuel economy declined from 22 mpg in 1987 to 19 in 2004, then steadily increased, reaching 27.2 mpg for the 2024 model year.¹⁰
• Fuel economy varies by vehicle type, from 21.3 mpg for pickups to 36.² for sedans/wagons and 28.4 for SUVs.¹⁰
• In 2020, the U.S. had one of the lowest fuel economy standards among industrialized nations, below the EU, China, and Japan.¹¹

Vehicle Size and Power

• From 1981 to 2024, average new vehicle weight increased by 36%, largely driven by SUV market growth. Passenger car weight decreased by 14% since 1975, while pickup weight rose by 31%. Horsepower increased 88% for all vehicles, and 0–60 mph acceleration times improved by 45%.¹⁰
• In 2024, SUVs accounted for 60% of new vehicles sold in the U.S., and pickups accounted for 15%.¹⁰
• Most of the energy in wheeled transportation and aircraft is used to move vehicle mass. Lightweighting can save energy.¹²

Energy Use

• The transportation sector makes up 29% of U.S. energy use.¹³ Since 1990, energy use in the sector grew by 43%, while its share of total U.S. energy use rose by just 3%.¹³
• In 2019, U.S. cars and light trucks used 15.1 quads of energy, representing 15% of national energy consumption.³
• In 2025, 94% of primary energy used in transportation came from fossil fuels, with 89% from petroleum.¹³
• In 2022, the transportation sector produced 1,802 Mt CO2e, 28% of U.S. GHG emissions.¹⁴
• In 2022, passenger cars emitted 370 Mt CO₂e and light trucks 660 Mt CO₂e. Together, they contributed 57% of U.S. transportation emissions and 16% of total U.S. emissions.¹⁴

Lifecycle Impacts

• A typical passenger car generates various burdens during its lifetime (raw material extraction through end-of-life). Most impacts are due to fuel production and vehicle operations.¹⁵
• Vehicle lifetime energy use for fuel production is 1.22 MJ/mi, for vehicle operations is 4.54 MJ/mi, and for material production, manufacturing, maintenance, and end-of-life combined is 0.56 MJ/mi.¹⁵
• GHG emissions (g CO₂e/mi) for a current technology small SUV are 429 for an ICEV, 312 for a PHEV, 258 for an HEV, and 267 for a BEV with 200-mi range.¹⁶

Solutions and Sustainable Actions

Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled

• Driving to/from work represents 30% of all vehicle miles driven, the average trip is 12 mi. Consider living closer to work or working from home.³
• In 2020, 75% of U.S. workers commuted by driving alone, while only 9% of workers carpooled (down from 20% in 1980).³ Carpooling can reduce household fuel costs, cut GHG emissions, and reduce traffic congestion.

• 20% of vehicle trips are shopping-related. Combine errands (trip chaining) to avoid unnecessary driving.³
• In 2022, traffic congestion cost Americans 8.5B extra hours on the road and 3.3B additional gal of gas, 5% and 8% lower than 2019 levels respectively. Switching to bikes, buses, or trains can cut GHG emissions and save time and money.¹⁷
• Micromobility (e.g., bikes, scooters) and shared transportation services (e.g., bike shares) have grown rapidly. In 2019, 136M trips were taken by shared micromobility users, over 6 times the number in 2015.³

Improve Energy Efficiency

• Consider buying a best-in-class vehicle for fuel economy. The U.S. EPA and DOE publish an annual Fuel Economy Guide ranking the most efficient models.
• Drive responsibly. Aggressive driving and speeding can lower gas mileage by 10% to 40%.¹⁹
• Gallons per mile (gpm) is a better indicator of fuel efficiency than miles per gallon (mpg). For instance, upgrading from a vehicle that gets 16 mpg to one that gets 20 mpg saves 125 gallons of fuel over 10,000 miles, whereas upgrading from a vehicle that gets 34 mpg to one that gets 50 mpg saves only 94 gallons over the same distance.20 EVs in the U.S. report efficiency in kWh / 100 mi.²¹
• Follow EV battery charging best practices to extend battery  life and minimize GHG emissions.²² See Electric Vehicles Factsheet. 

Promote Supportive Public Policy

• Dense, mixed-use communities promote walking and biking by reducing travel time between homes, businesses, and workplaces.²³
• Support policies that invest in public transit infrastructure. Transit availability is highly concentrated. Eight urbanized areas account for 73% of all transit trips, with New York making up 46%, and rural areas 2%.²⁵

U.S. Public Transit Availability, 2024²⁵

Image

• Fuel economy standards tied to vehicle size may encourage a shift toward larger vehicles—a current trend—which could increase traffic safety risks. Predicted vehicle size increases of 2–32% under such policies could offset fuel economy gains by 1–4 mpg.²⁶
• In 2025, the EPA removed civil penalties for car manufacturers who do not meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.²⁴
• In 2026, the EPA rescinded the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, which was the basis for regulation of GHG standards for vehicles.²⁷