Featured Links

Clean Transportation Fact Sheets & Publications
U.S. Dept. of Energy	The Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
Alternative Fuels Station Locator	Fuel Economy and Vehicle Comparisons

Fuel Fact of the Week

Fact #1045:Vehicles per Thousand People in China in 2016 was Similar to the United States in 1923



Vehicles per thousand people in 2006 in China was similar to the United States in 1915, but ten years later, the number has grown to approximately the same as where the United States was in 1923. The figures below show the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries/regions. The data for the United States are displayed by the black line which goes from 1900 to 2016. The color points labeled on that line show data for the other countries/regions around the world and how their vehicles per thousand people compare to the United States at two different points in time, 2006 and 2016. For instance, the top figure shows that in 2006, Eastern Europe’s vehicles per thousand people was about where the United States was in 1942 (orange circle), but by 2016 it is about where the United States was in 1953 (orange diamond).

The lower part of the figure (1900-1930) is enlarged in the second figure below. The countries/regions on the lower figure with the greatest increases in the ten-year span were China, Brazil, and Central and South America.

Note: Includes cars, light trucks, heavy trucks, and buses registered in each country.

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 36.2, August 2018. (Original data from Ward’s Automotive and U.S. Bureau of the Census, International Data Base (IDB) midyear population estimates.)

Want to know more?

Past Fuel Facts of the Week.

Question of the Month

How is fuel economy determined and reported for alternative fuel vehicles?

Last month we learned about how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines and reports conventional light-duty vehicle fuel economy ratings. While alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) fuel economy testing is largely similar to that of conventional fuels, the EPA makes some adjustments to account for different vehicle technology and fuel energy content. By tailoring AFV fuel economy testing and reporting, the EPA is able to provide apples-to-apples comparisons and allow consumers to make informed decisions.

Want to know more?