ENERG Y IN F O RMA T I ON A D MIN I STRA T I O N ( E I A ) 

DOE/EIA-0464(2005 ) 

NOVERMBER 2005 

HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES 

ENERGY USE: LATEST

DATA & TRENDS 

BASED ON AUGMENTATIONS OF THE JANUARY

2004 RELEASE OF THE 2001 NATIONAL

HOUSEHOLD TRAVEL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

AND OTHER RELEVANT EIA DATA

ENE R G Y I N FORM A T ION ADM I N I S T R A T I O N 

OFFIC E OF ENE R G Y MA RKE T S A N D E ND U S E 

U . S . DEP A RTME NT OF ENE R GY 

WASHING T ON, DC 2058 5 

THIS PUB L ICATIO N IS AVAILAB LE O N THE W E B AT : 

WWW.E I A.DOE.GOV/EMEU/ R T ECS/NH T S _SURVE Y / 2001/ INDE X.HTML 

The Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical

administration within the U.S. Department of Energy, prepared this report. The information 

contained herein should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the 

U.S. Department of Energy or any other organization. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ENERGY INFORMATION 

ADMINISTRATION 

CONTACTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report was prepared by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) under the general 

direction of Margot Anderson, Director of the Office of the Energy Markets and End Use 

(202.586.2589). Dwight K. French, Director of the Energy Consumption Division (ECD) 

(202.586.1126) and Mark A. Schipper, Program Manager (202.586.1136), directed this project. 

Specific technical information may be obtained from Derrick S. Pinckney (202.586.5744), Survey

Statistician for transportation programs. 

EIA expresses its gratitude for the data support received from the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program for critical data

components of this project, without such assistance and participation none of this effort would 

have been possible. 

Contacts for detailed technical questions on energy consumption and consumer topics may be 

found on http://www.eia.doe.gov/contacts/multifc.htm. For information on the National

Household Travel Survey and its sampling and estimation methods, please contact Susan Liss of 

the Federal Highway Administration on 202.366.5060 or Patricia Hu, Director of the Center for 

Transportation Analysis of Oak Ridge National Laboratory of Center for Transportation Analysis, 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, on 865.946.1349. 

This report, Household Vehicles Energy Use: Latest Data & Trends, provides details on 

the nation’s energy use for household passenger travel. A primary purpose of this report is 

to release the latest consumer-based data on household vehicles and expenditures, derived 

from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2001 National Household Travel Survey 

(NHTS) and independent estimates of vehicle miles per gallon and fuel prices at that time. 

This report also draws on data programs made available to the EIA from other Federal 

agencies, EIA’s past Residential Transportation Energy Consumption Surveys (RTECS)

and other EIA data sources and projections to assess household transport energy use from 

1983 to the present time and into the near future. The data and analysis in this report

center on several important intensities of use of household energy use for travel: number 

and type of vehicles per household; annual miles per household and per vehicle; gallons of

fuel consumed and type of fuel used; prices paid for fuel and total expenditures; and fuel 

economy. 

Only light-duty vehicles and recreational vehicles are included in this report. EIA has 

excluded motorcycles, mopeds, large trucks, and buses in an effort to maintain consistency 

with its past residential transportation series, which was discontinued after 1994. 

II ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS
CONTENTS

CONTENTS 

CONTACTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................II

TABLE TITLES ........................................................................................................................... V

DETAILED TABLE TITLES [U.S. EQUIVALENTS]............................................................. V

DETAILED TABLE TITLE [INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS (SI)].....................VI

FIGURES......................................................................................................................................VI

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................1

HIGHLIGHTS .................................................................................................................................2

DECOMPOSING ENERGY USE .......................................................................................................7

ENERGY OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................10

Data Sources..........................................................................................................................10

ORGANIZATION OF REPORT .......................................................................................................12

ENERGY PROFILE .......................................................................................................................13

Top-Down View .....................................................................................................................13

Bottom-Up View of Personal Transportation ........................................................................14

Costs Rise for U.S. Households.........................................................................................14

Prices Expected to Move Higher .......................................................................................14

Demand Analysis Techniques................................................................................................15

PREDICTORS OF ENERGY NEEDS................................................................................................16

Structure.................................................................................................................................18

Households with Vehicles..................................................................................................18

Number of Vehicles...........................................................................................................19

Types of Vehicles ..............................................................................................................21

Activity ...................................................................................................................................23

Vehicle-Miles Traveled .....................................................................................................23

One-Way Trips Per Year and Average One-Way Trip Distances .....................................24

Energy Intensity .....................................................................................................................26

Energy Performance: Gallons per Vehicle-Mile Traveled.................................................26

DECOMPOSING ENERGY NEEDS .................................................................................................34

Measuring an Effect...............................................................................................................36

Summary of Decompostion 4942 ...........................................................................................37

Summary of Decompostion 4941 ...........................................................................................38

Energy Savings ......................................................................................................................42

Comparing Effects Over Time and Into The Future ..............................................................42

DATA FOR DECOMPOSITION 4941..............................................................................................44

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS III
CONTENTS

REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................49

ABBREVIATIONS.........................................................................................................................50

APPENDIX A: DETAILED TABLES .......................................................................................51

APPENDIX B: ESTIMATION METHODOLOGIES ...........................................................125

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................126

Disclaimer............................................................................................................................126

Data Sources........................................................................................................................127

Procedures and Definitions .................................................................................................128

VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED .....................................................................................................131

In-Possession Vehicle-Miles Traveled .................................................................................132

VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY........................................................................................................133

The EPA Composite MPG ...................................................................................................135

Fuel Economy Shortfall .......................................................................................................135

The On-Road MPG ..............................................................................................................137

Shortfall Adjustment Based on Discount Factors................................................................137

The In-Use MPG..................................................................................................................139

ANNUAL VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION..................................................................................141

ANNUAL VEHICLE FUEL EXPENDITURES AND PRICE...............................................................144

Vehicle Fuel Expenditures...................................................................................................144

Type of Fuel Used ................................................................................................................145

Gasoline Prices....................................................................................................................146

Diesel Fuel Prices................................................................................................................148

Other Fuel Type Prices........................................................................................................149

APPENDIX C: QUALITY OF THE DATA............................................................................151

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................152

Nonsampling Error..............................................................................................................152

Unit Nonresponse.................................................................................................................153

Imputation Procedures for Supplemental Data ...................................................................153

Cold-Deck Procedure ..........................................................................................................154

QUALITY OF SPECIFIC SUPPLEMENTAL DATA ITEMS ..............................................................158

Cold-Deck Procedure: Sensitivity Analysis.........................................................................158

Vehicle Fuel Price and Expenditures...................................................................................159

Gasoline Equivalent Gallon.................................................................................................159

GREET Model......................................................................................................................159

Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 22 — 2002 ......................................................160

APPENDIX D: DESCRIPTION OF DATA ............................................................................163

STRUCTURE OF THE DATA FILES..............................................................................................164

Basic Structure.....................................................................................................................164

RELATIONSHIP AMONG U.S. DOT AND EIA PUBLIC-USE DATA FILES...................................164

UNDERSTANDING THE DATA FILES..........................................................................................165

CODEBOOK FOR EIA AUGMENTATIONS ..................................................................................166

APPENDIX E: CHRONOLOGY OF WORLD OIL MARKET EVENTS..........................177

MAJOR EVENTS AND REAL WORLD OIL PRICES, 1970-2005...................................................179

GLOSSARY ...............................................................................................................................181

IV ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS
CONTENTS

TABLE TITLES

TABLE 1. MEASURES OF ENERGY DEMAND AND DEMAND ACTIVITIES, SELECTED SURVEY YEARS

...............................................................................................................................................17

TABLE 2. ANNUAL PERCENT CHANGE IN MEASURES OF ENERGY DEMAND, SELECTED SURVEY 

YEARS ....................................................................................................................................18

TABLE 3. COMPARING COMPONENT EFFECTS, 1988-1991, 1991-1994, AND 1994-2001 ..............41

TABLE 4. NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH VEHICLES BY HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION 

(LIFECYCLE), SELECTED SURVEY YEARS ............................................................................44

TABLE 5. NUMBER OF VEHICLES AND VEHICLE OWNERSHIP BY HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

(LIFECYCLE), SELECTED SURVEY YEARS ............................................................................44

TABLE 6. SHARES OF VEHICLES BY TYPE AND HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION (LIFECYCLE),

SELECTED SURVEY YEARS ....................................................................................................45

TABLE 7. VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED PER VEHICLE BY TYPE AND HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

(LIFECYCLE), SELECTED SURVEY YEARS ............................................................................46

TABLE 8. GASOLINE-EQUIVALENT GALLONS PER 1000 MILES BY TYPE AND HOUSEHOLD 

COMPOSITION (LIFECYCLE), SELECTED SURVEY YEARS.....................................................47

TABLE 9. NUMBER OF SAMPLED VEHICLES BY TYPE AND HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION 

(LIFECYCLE), SELECTED SURVEY YEARS ............................................................................48

DETAILED TABLE TITLES [U.S. EQUIVALENTS] 

TABLE A1. U.S. NUMBER OF VEHICLES, VEHICLES-MILES, MOTOR FUEL CONSUMPTION AND 

EXPENDITURES, 2001............................................................................................................. 53 

TABLE A2. U.S. PER HOUSEHOLD VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED, VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION 

AND EXPENDITURES, 2001..................................................................................................... 57 

TABLE A3. U.S. PER VEHICLE AVERAGE MILES TRAVELED, VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION AND 

EXPENDITURES, 2001 [SEE TABLE A20 FOR INTERNATIONAL UNITS].................................. 60 

TABLE A4. U.S. VEHICLES BY MODEL YEAR, 2001 (MILLION VEHICLES) ................................... 64 

TABLE A5. U.S. VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY BY MODEL YEAR, 2001 (MILES PER GALLON).......... 68 

TABLE A6. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION BY MODEL YEAR, 2001 (GALLONS PER 

VEHICLE) ............................................................................................................................... 72 

TABLE A7. U.S. VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED BY FAMILY INCOME AND POVERTY STATUS, 2001

(BILLION MILES).................................................................................................................... 76 

TABLE A8. U.S. VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION BY FAMILY INCOME AND POVERTY STATUS, 2001

(BILLION GALLONS)............................................................................................................... 80 

TABLE A9. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED BY FAMILY INCOME AND POVERTY 

STATUS, 2001 (THOUSAND MILES PER HOUSEHOLD)............................................................ 84 

TABLE A10. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION BY FAMILY INCOME AND POVERTY 

STATUS, 2001 (GALLONS PER HOUSEHOLD) ......................................................................... 87 

TABLE A11. U.S. VEHICLES BY NHTS HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, 2001 (MILLION VEHICLES). 90 

TABLE A12. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED BY NHTS HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION,

2001 (THOUSAND MILES PER HOUSEHOLD).......................................................................... 94 

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS V
CONTENTS

TABLE A13. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED BY VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY 

CATEGORY, 2001 (THOUSAND MILES PER VEHICLE)............................................................ 96 

TABLE A14. U.S. VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION BY VEHICLE TYPE, 2001 (BILLION GALLONS)100 

TABLE A15. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED BY VEHICLE TYPE, 2001 (THOUSAND 

MILES PER VEHICLE) ........................................................................................................... 104 

TABLE A16. U.S. NUMBER OF VEHICLES BY VEHICLE TYPE, 2001 (MILLION VEHICLES).......... 108 

TABLE A17. U.S. NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS BY VEHICLE FUEL EXPENDITURES, 2001 (MILLION 

HOUSEHOLDS)...................................................................................................................... 112 

TABLE A18. U.S. VEHICLES BY EIA HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, 2001(MILLION VEHICLES) ... 115 

TABLE A19. U.S. AVERAGE VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED BY EIA HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION,

2001 (THOUSAND MILES PER HOUSEHOLD)........................................................................ 119 

DETAILED TABLE TITLE [INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS (SI)]

TABLE A20. U.S. PER VEHICLE AVERAGE KILOMETERS TRAVELED, VEHICLE FUEL 

CONSUMPTION AND EXPENDITURES, 2001 [SEE TABLE A3 FOR U.S. EQUIVALENTS]........ 121 

FIGURES

FIGURE ES1. SCHEMA FOR ESTIMATING ENERGY AND ENERGY-RELATED STATISTICS, 2001 .......1

FIGURE ES2. ANNUAL INDICES OF REAL DISPOSABLE INCOME, VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED,

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI-U), AND REAL AVERAGE RETAIL GASOLINE PRICE, 1978-

2004, 1985=100 .......................................................................................................................3

FIGURE ES3. SALES-WEIGHTED HORSEPOWER AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR NEW LIGHTDUTY VEHICLES, 1975-2004 MODEL YEARS...........................................................................6

FIGURE ES4. SALES-WEIGHTED INERTIA WEIGHT AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR NEW

LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES, 1975-2004 MODEL YEARS ...............................................................6

FIGURE ES5. ACTUAL ANNUAL ENERGY GROWTH – ALL EFFECTS ARE INCLUDED ......................7

FIGURE ES6. FUEL ECONOMY EFFECTS ON ANNUAL ENERGY GROWTH ........................................7

FIGURE ES7. ADJUSTED ANNUAL ENERGY GROWTH – NO FUEL ECONOMY EFFECTS...................7

FIGURE 1. TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY END-USE SECTOR, 1949-2004 ..............................13

FIGURE 2. ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF VEHICLES, SELECTED SURVEY YEARS .............................15

FIGURE 3. EXAMPLE OF A LASPEYRES DECOMPOSITION ..............................................................16

FIGURE 4. VEHICLE OWNERSHIP BY HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION (LIFECYCLE), SELECTED

SURVEY YEARS ......................................................................................................................20

FIGURE 5. VEHICLE OWNERSHIP BY NOMINAL FAMILY INCOME, 2001 ........................................21

FIGURE 6. NUMBER AND SHARE OF NEW VEHICLES SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES BY VEHICLE 

TYPE AND YEAR.....................................................................................................................22

FIGURE 7. DISTRIBUTION OF VEHICLE STOCK, 2001 .....................................................................22

FIGURE 8. AVERAGE VEHICLE TRIP LENGTH, SELECTED SURVEY YEARS....................................24

FIGURE 9. AVERAGE ANNUAL VEHICLE TRIPS PER HOUSEHOLD, SELECTED SURVEY YEARS .....24

FIGURE 10. ANNUAL INDICES OF REAL DISPOSABLE INCOME, VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED,

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI-U), AND REAL AVERAGE RETAIL GASOLINE PRICE, 1978-

2004, 1985=100 .....................................................................................................................26

FIGURE 11. SALES-WEIGHTED ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY BY VEHICLE TYPE, 1975-2004 MODEL 

YEARS ....................................................................................................................................27

VI ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS
CONTENTS

FIGURE 12. AVERAGE ON-ROAD, IN-USE FUEL ECONOMY BY VEHICLE TYPE, 2001...................27

FIGURE 13. SALES-WEIGHTED ON-ROAD ENERGY INTENSITY BY VEHICLE TYPE, 1975-2004

MODEL YEARS .......................................................................................................................27

FIGURE 14. AVERAGE ON-ROAD, IN-USE ENERGY INTENSITY BY VEHICLE TYPE, 2001 .............27

FIGURE 15. AVERAGE ON-ROAD, IN-USE ENERGY INTENSITY, SELECTED SURVEY YEARS.........29

FIGURE 16. AVERAGE VEHICLE-MILES TRAVELED PER VEHICLE, SELECTED SURVEY YEARS ....29

FIGURE 17. SALES-WEIGHTED HORSEPOWER AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR PASSENGER 

CARS, 1975-2004 MODEL YEARS ..........................................................................................30

FIGURE 18. SALES-WEIGHTED VEHICLE WEIGHT AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR 

PASSENGER CARS, 1975-2004 MODEL YEARS ......................................................................30

FIGURE 19. SALES-WEIGHTED HORSEPOWER AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR VANS, 1975-

2004 MODEL YEARS ..............................................................................................................31

FIGURE 20. SALES-WEIGHTED VEHICLE WEIGHT AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR VANS,

1975-2004 MODEL YEARS .....................................................................................................31

FIGURE 21. SALES-WEIGHTED HORSEPOWER AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR SUVS, 1975-

2004 MODEL YEARS ..............................................................................................................32

FIGURE 22. SALES-WEIGHTED VEHICLE WEIGHT AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR SUVS,

1975-2004 MODEL YEARS .....................................................................................................32

FIGURE 23. SALES-WEIGHTED HORSEPOWER AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR PICKUPS,

1975-2004 MODEL YEARS .....................................................................................................33

FIGURE 24. SALES-WEIGHTED VEHICLE WEIGHT AND ON-ROAD FUEL ECONOMY FOR PICKUPS,

1975-2004 MODEL YEARS .....................................................................................................33

FIGURE 25. DECOMPOSITION 4942 OF ENERGY NEEDS, 1988 AND 2001.......................................37

FIGURE 26. ENERGY SAVINGS FROM ENERGY INTENSITY EFFECT, 2001 ......................................37

FIGURE 27. DECOMPOSITION 4941 OF ENERGY NEEDS, 1988 AND 2001.......................................39

FIGURE 28. ENERGY SAVINGS FROM ENERGY INTENSITY, 2001 ...................................................39

FIGURE 29. DECOMPOSITION 4941 OF ENERGY USE, 1988-1991, 1991-1994, AND 1994-2001.....40

FIGURE 30. DECOMPOSITION 4941 OF ENERGY USE BY EFFECT, 1988-1991, 1991-1994, AND 

1994-2001 ..............................................................................................................................40

FIGURE 31. CONCLUDED ENERGY SAVINGS, 1991 (BILLION GEG) ..............................................42

FIGURE 32. CONCLUDED ENERGY SAVINGS, 1994 (BILLION GEG) ..............................................42

FIGURE 33. CONCLUDED ENERGY SAVINGS, 2001 (BILLION GEG) ..............................................42

FIGURE B1. ESTIMATION SCHEMATIC..........................................................................................131

FIGURE B2. MILES PER GASOLINE EQUIVALENT GALLON ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES .............136

FIGURE B3. AREA MAP FOR REFORMULATED GASOLINE ...........................................................148

FIGURE B4. MAP OF PETROLEUM ADMINISTRATION FOR DEFENSE DISTRICTS ..........................149

FIGURE C1. SCHEMATIC FOR LINKING OR MATCHING A NHTS SAMPLE VEHICLE TO ELIGIBLE

EPA/NHTSA VEHICLES ......................................................................................................154

FIGURE C2. DISTRIBUTION OF NHTS SAMPLE VEHICLES “MATCHED” WITH VEHICLES

"DONATED" BY NHTSA FILE RECORDS ..............................................................................157

FIGURE D1. RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DATA FILES RELEASED BY EIA AND NHTS.....................165

FIGURE D2. MAP OF U.S. CENSUS AND DIVISION AREAS............................................................175

FIGURE E1.MAJOR EVENTS AND REAL WORLD OIL PRICES, 1970-2005 ....................................179

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS VII

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION 

This report, Household Vehicles Energy Use: Latest Data & Trends, provides details on the 

nation’s energy use for household passenger travel. A primary purpose of this report is to release

the latest consumer-based data on household vehicles and expenditures, derived from the U.S. 

Department of Transportation’s 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) and

independent estimates of vehicle miles per gallon and fuel prices at that time (see Figure ES1). 

This report also draws on data programs made available to the Energy Information 

Administration (EIA) from other Federal agencies, the five past Residential Transportation 

Energy Consumption Surveys

1

 (RTECS) conducted by EIA and other EIA data sources and 

projections to assess household transport energy use from 1983 to the present time and into the 

near future. The data and analysis in this report center on several important intensities of use for 

travel: number and type of vehicles per household; annual miles per household and per vehicle; 

gallons of fuel consumed and type of fuel used; prices paid for fuel and total expenditures; and 

fuel economy.

Figure ES1. Schema for Estimating Energy and Energy-Related Statistics, 2001 

From N H TS/EIA:

Vehicle-M iles

Traveled (VM T)

From EPA/N H TSA: 

Fuel Econom y in m iles per

equivalent gallon (M PG )

From EIA:

R etail Fuel Price in nom inal

dollars per equivalent gallon 

(D PG )

M erge

Vehicle Fuel C onsum ption M erge

M PG

V M T D uring Possession =

Vehicle Fuel Expenditures 

= D PG • G allons

Adjust Fuel Econom y to

on-road, in-use values 

Sources: NHTS – National Household Travel Survey, EPA – Environmental Protection Agency, EIA – 

Energy Information Administration, and NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

 1

 The RTECS was conducted on a multi-year basis: 1983, 1985, 1988, 1991, and 1994, after which it was discontinued 

by EIA.

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

HIGHLIGHTS 

1. The energy consumed by light-duty vehicles focuses attention 

on the volatility of crude oil prices and the prospects for

reducing reliance on oil imports, as well as the potential 

environmental impacts.

In 2001, the United States consumed 113.1 billion gasoline-equivalent gallons (GEG) to fuel 

passenger travel by light-duty vehicles, a rise of 3.3 percent per year from 1994, when 90.6 

billion was consumed. That fuel consumption by light-duty vehicles, stored in a tank the size of a 

regulation football field, would require the tank to have walls nearly 50 miles high.2

 The entire

transport sector is not only the second largest consumer of energy, but it also has recently become 

the largest contributor to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide, topping 

industrial emissions in 1999, primarily due to transport’s heavy reliance on petroleum products, 

such as motor gasoline.3

The nation currently cannot provide for all its petroleum demand with domestically produced

crude oil. The decline in domestic oil production, coupled with a rise in oil consumption, resulted

in net imports of crude oil and petroleum products surpassing 11.8 million barrels per day in 

2004, with imports reaching an all-time high of just over 12.9 million barrels per day, of which

over 40 percent had originated at countries belonging to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting

Countries (OPEC). Furthermore, motor gasoline accounted for nearly one-half (8.9 million

barrels per day) of the 20 million barrels per day of petroleum products consumed domestically in 

2004, with 13.6 million barrels per day of that total identified as transport sector use. 

2. Costlier energy, in part, powers consumers’ expenditures to 

higher levels, as they paid nearly equal amounts for household 

services and for their transport energy needs. 

For consumers, energy costs are a foremost concern. Transportation costs have increased due

to many factors related to travel and prices paid for transportation fuel, while being somewhat 

offset by improved fuel economy. In 2001, consumers paid nearly equal amounts for energy used 

for household services (ranging from cooking and water heating to refrigeration and lighting) and

for personal transport. The average household spent $1,520 for transport and remitted $1,493 for 

household services, just $27 more per year, as measured in nominal dollars. 

By contrast, an average household paid $1,174 for passenger travel in 1994, while having

paid $1,620 for household services in 1993 – a year in which heating and cooling seasons were

 2

 A ft3 equals 7.48 gallons. See www.ncaa.org/champadmin/football/football_field.gif for field dimensions. 

3

 Burning a gallon of gasoline releases 8.9 kilograms (373.8 kg per bbl) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. See

National Research Council, Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards 

(Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 2002), p. 85. 

2 ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

well within 30-year norms. It can be argued that, based on those statistics, what America drives 

on its roadways

4

 has become as important energy-wise as what heating equipment it places in its

basements and appliances in its electrical sockets. 

Figure ES2. Annual Indices of Real Disposable Income, Vehicle-Miles Traveled, Consumer Price 

Index (CPI-U), and Real Average Retail Gasoline Price, 1978-2004, 1985=100 

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1977197819791980

1981*1982*

1983198419851986198719881989

1990*1991*

199219931994199519961997199819992000

2001*

200220032004

Index (1985=100)

Real Disposable Personal Income

Real Motor Gasoline Price for All Grades

Vehicle-Miles Traveled

CPI-U: All items less food and energy

Crude Oil:

$70-80 per

bbl ($2005)

Crude Oil:

$20-30 per

bbl ($2005)

Sources: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2004; Bureau of Economic Analysis; 

Note * = recession year.

While the real retail price of gasoline has risen and fallen over the past two decades, there has 

been an overall decline of 1.3 percent per year between 1983 and 2001, with substantial drops in

1986 and 1998 and somewhat smaller ones in 1991 and 2001 (see Figure E1 for a Chronology of

World Oil Prices, as this price explains most of the variations found in refined gasoline prices). In

contrast, the prices of other consumer products5

 have risen dramatically, taking a higher real 

percentage of consumers’ budgets. Given the minor role fuel prices have played in determining

vehicle use, there is little surprise that vehicle-miles traveled is better correlated with disposable 

income than retail prices; furthermore, the improvement in energy intensity, though 

unexceptional, might have further weakened a diminished price signal by mitigating the effect of 

fuel prices, where consumers could travel further on a single dollar of transportation fuel. Given 

that retail price is primarily based on the price paid for crude oil, price signals to consumers

should mimic world crude oil prices, which have exceeded $50 per barrel (bbl) – at times 

surpassing $60 per bbl.6

 4

 8.3 million lane-miles. See Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2003 (U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Washington, DC) table HM-60. 

5

 See components of the Consumer Price Index conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

6

 See Federal Trade Commission, Gasoline Price Changes: the Dynamic of Supply, Demand, and Competition, July 5,

2005, Washington, DC. Accessed http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/07/gaspricefactor.htm on July 25, 2005. 

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS

Based on expected future energy prices which partially reflect producers’ acquisition costs, 

the gap between transport cost and household services cost may expand. Between 2001 and 2006, 

expenditures for motor gasoline are expected to increase from $1,370 per household per year to 

$2,327 in 2006, up nearly $960 per household. For comparison, in 2001, gasoline prices averaged 

$1.43 per gallon; in 2006, gasoline prices are expected to average $2.43 per gallon (a 71-percent 

increase in nominal terms and 52-percent increase when adjusted by inflation)7

In 2001 there were 107.4 million households in the United States, of which nearly 98.9 

million (92 percent) actually owned or possessed one or more vehicles, an increase of 1.8 percent 

per year from 1983, when 86 percent, or 72.2 million out of 84.4 million households, had 

possessed one or more vehicles. The increasing number of households and a greater fraction of 

those possessing a vehicle, all else been equal, should result in increased energy needs for the 

nation. 

Since 1983, with some minor deviations, the growth in vehicle-miles traveled has mirrored 

the increases in real disposable income. For instance, between 1983 and 1985, when annual real 

gasoline prices dropped 4.4 percent per year, the annual growth of vehicle-miles traveled (i.e., 

overall travel) and disposable income rose 5.4 and 5.5 percent, respectively. Despite some 

inconsistencies when travel activity grew faster than disposable income, their overall growth 

between 1983 and 2001 is in near lock-step formation, with real disposable income registering a 

rise of 3.2 percent per year and travel activity growing at an annual rate of 3.6 percent. 

Even though sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) are increasingly popular among Americans, 

passenger cars still rank as their overall vehicle of choice, as they make up the majority of 

vehicles on America’s roadways. Cars, including station wagons, represented just over 50 percent 

 

7

 Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook. Accessed 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html on November 14, 2005. 

3. Vehicle fuel expenditures are expected to rise in the near term, 

all else being equal. 

5. Based on new vehicle sales figures, consumers’ preferences for 

sports-utility vehicles is unmistakable, although cars still rank 

as the single largest segment of the nation’s vehicle stock – 

accounting for nearly 6 out of every 10 vehicles on American 

roadways. 

4. Households, on average, have increased their mobility. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

of the new vehicle purchases in 2001, as reported by the EPA, though in each of the subsequent 

years they have lost market share to SUVs. As of 2001, a recession year, the distribution of sales

and scrappage rates had resulted in a household vehicle fleet of 191.0 million vehicles: 112.4 

million (58 percent) passenger cars, 18.4 million (10 percent) vans, 23.2 million (12 percent) 

SUVs, 35.6 million (19 percent) pickups, and 1.4 million (1 percent) recreational vehicles. 

6. The vehicles desired by consumers over the past 15 or 20 years 

have led to heavier, more powerful, and faster vehicles, 

equipped with increasingly powerful engines, generally 

exhibiting unexceptional improvements in energy performance 

(defined as gallons of fuel needed to travel one thousand miles

or liters to travel 100 kilometers). 

Tracking an economy’s energy intensity – one measure of energy performance – as the ratio 

of energy per Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or the environmentally analogous intensity of

carbon dioxide emitted per GDP8

 is common in energy economics, and such a technique can be

applied to transport. Instead of a ratio of economy-wide energy use per GDP, a ratio of gasolineequivalent gallons (GEG) per vehicle-miles traveled for the entire vehicle stock is calculated. 

That overall intensity of energy use has steadily improved since 1983, though the greatest strides 

in lowering (improving) energy intensity had occurred before 1991. Post-1991 intensity 

improvements (i.e., energy performance) slowed dramatically, yielding an overall annual 

improvement of 1.6 percent between 1983 and 2001, as compared to the 3.2 and 4.2 percent gains 

seen in the 1983-1985 and 1985-1988 time periods, respectively. Figures ES3 and ES4 provide 

evidence of the lopsided improvement in the nation’s energy performance. Moreover, this report 

also decomposes the change in energy use over time. 

 8

 Emissions from petroleum-powered vehicles are directly proportional to energy use. 

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Figure ES3. Sales-Weighted Horsepower and On-Road Fuel Economy for New Light-Duty Vehicles, 

1975-2004 Model Years 

1975 1976 1977

1978 1979

1980 19811982 1983 1984 19851986 1987 1988

1989

1990 1991

1992 1993 1994

1995

1996 1997 1998

192000 99

2001

2002 2003

2004

90

110

130

150

170

190

210

230

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Miles per Gallon

H

orsepower

52 % more 

output

59 % more energy

performance

Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Fuel Economy Trends 2004. 

Figure ES4. Sales-Weighted Inertia Weight and On-Road Fuel Economy for New Light-Duty Vehicles, 

1975-2004 Model Years 

1975 1976

1977

1978

1979

1980 19811982

1983 1984 19851986 1987

1988

1989

1990 1991

1992 1993

1994 1995

1996

1997 1998

12000 999 2001

2002

2003

2004

3000

3200

3400

3600

3800

4000

4200

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Miles per Gallon

Inertia Weight (lbs)

Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Fuel Economy Trends 2004. 

6 ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

DECOMPOSING ENERGY USE 

7. Over time, fuel economy’s influence on driving down energy 

use has lessened. Decomposing the change in energy use 

reveals such influences that fueled the growth in energy use,

as well as deflated it, shedding light on the nation’s continuing 

economic exposure to oil.

Figure ES5. Actual Annual

Energy Growth – All Effects

Are Included 

0.16

3.03 3.22

-3

-1

1

3

5

Percent

Source: Energy Information 

Administration.

Figure ES6. Fuel Economy 

Effects on Annual Energy

Growth

-2.09

-1.26 -0.78

-3

-1

1

3

5

Percent

Source: Energy Information 

Administration.

Figure ES7. Adjusted Annual

Energy Growth – No Fuel 

Economy Effects 

2.30

4.35 4.03

-3

-1

1

3

5

Percent

Source: Energy Information 

Administration.

1988-1991 1991-1994 1994-2001

Consumers’ energy needs for 

travel using personally owned 

vehicles (POV) grew unevenly 

between 1988 and 2001, 

averaging 2.46 percent per 

year. Measuring...

the effect on the change in 

energy use from improving 

technologies shows that Fuel

Economy effects had dampened 

energy use, but those effects 

have sharply diminished over 

time, suggesting significant 

savings occurred prior to 1991

and much less so in following

years. By excluding the effects 

of technology advancements

affecting fuel economy... 

energy use would have surged 

to even higher levels, climbing 

higher than the actual amounts

because of those exclusions – 

2.30 percent per year versus

0.16 percent between 1988 and 

1991; 4.35 percent versus 3.03 

percent between 1991 and

1994; 4.03 percent versus 3.22 

percent between 1994 and

2001, resulting in billions of 

gallons of energy “savings”

and decreasing, though at a 

declining rate, the nation’s 

exposure to oil.

In addition to Fuel Economy Effects, there are numerous other factors affecting the change in 

energy use – though not always as an offset. Decomposition is a means of analyzing an overall 

change over time. The key is identifying intermediate predictors that are measurable and 

dimensionally intertwined with each other in measurable ratios such that an overall ratio can be 

"decomposed" into the product of two or more "effects," effectively linking them together. One 

then can conclude that the components represent the contributions of the change in each of the

effects represented by the component ratios to the overall change. 

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/HOUSEHOLD VEHICLES ENERGY USE: LATEST DATA & TRENDS 7