DALLAS — Sport utility vehicle (SUV) registrations increased by 56 percent between 1997 and 2002, from 15.5 million to 24.2 million, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today on the nation’s registered trucks and vans. California and Texas led the nation in adding registered SUVs. California had the most registered SUVs — 2.8 million — while Texas had 1.8 million in 2002. (See Table S1. [Excel])

     The SUV increase continued a nationwide trend reported five years ago, but the rise fell short of the dramatic 81 percent jump in SUV registrations between 1992 and 1997.

     “Altogether, SUVs traveled nearly 315 billion miles on the nation’s highways in 2002, up 100 billion miles from 1997,” said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon at a local SUV dealership in Dallas. “Collectively, SUVs made the equivalent of more than 650,000 round-trips to the moon in 2002.”

     SUV registrations more than doubled in Tennessee over the five-year period, at 151 percent (from 231,700 to 581,200). Other states with large percentage increases in registrations were Georgia (114 percent, from 416,500 to 892,400) and Indiana (103 percent, from 275,800 to 560,900).

     The release of the 2002 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) report for the nation follows the release of individual reports for states and the District of Columbia. The final four state reports — Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Tennessee — were also released today.

     Other highlights:

     SUVs

• Nationwide, there was approximately one registered SUV for every eight licensed drivers in 2002. States with the highest concentrations were Colorado and Wyoming, with about one SUV for every five licensed drivers. (See Table S2. [Excel])
• The District of Columbia had only one SUV for every 14 licensed drivers in 2002. However, there was one for every 30 licensed drivers five years earlier.

      Pickup trucks

• Pickup truck registrations were up by only 5 percent between 1997 and 2002, but the 38 million pickups were still the majority of light, single-unit trucks. (See Table P1. [Excel])
• Texas had the greatest increase in pickup registrations, gaining 747,800 vehicles between 1997 and 2002 to reach more than 3.3 million. California had the greatest number of pickups, at 4.1 million.
• West Virginia led the nation in the rate of increase of pickup registrations, at 38 percent, as its total jumped by 100,000 to reach 362,600 vehicles. Texas’ increase was 29 percent, and New Jersey was also among the leaders with a 25 percent increase (from 393,400 to 493,300).
• Nationwide, there was approximately one pickup truck for every five licensed drivers in 2002, but there was one pickup for nearly every two drivers in Wyoming. Other high concentrations were found in Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota, with between two and three licensed drivers per registered pickup. (See Table P2 [Excel]).

      Minivans and all trucks

• Minivans continued to be popular, with registrations increasing 24 percent over the five-year period.
• Total U.S. truck registrations in 2002 were estimated at 85.2 million, up 17 percent from 72.8 million in 1997.
• Pickups comprised nearly half (45 percent) of truck registrations in 2002, with SUVs at 28 percent and minivans, 14 percent.
• About 77 percent of all trucks were used for personal transportation in 2002, while 19 percent were operated for business, including for-hire use.

     The report also includes information on fuel efficiency, annual mileage, primary range of operation, permanent equipment and other physical and operational characteristics. The VIUS is conducted every five years as part of the Economic Census.

     Estimates in the VIUS reports are based on data from the 2002 VIUS. They contain sampling and nonsampling errors. To keep the identity of an individual respondent confidential, some estimates may be suppressed. Users who make their own estimates based on survey estimates should cite the U.S. Census Bureau as the source of the original estimates only. See <http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/02vehinv.html> for measures of sampling variability and other survey information.

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