Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 4-11M. Passenger Car and Motorcycle Fuel Consumption and Travel

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Vehicles registered (thousands)                              
Passenger cars 61,671 75,258 89,244 106,706 121,601 127,885 133,700 128,300 126,581 127,327 127,883 128,387 129,728 129,749 131,839
Motorcycles 574 1,382 2,824 4,964 5,694 5,444 4,259 4,177 4,065 3,978 3,757 3,897 3,872 3,826 3,879
Vehicle-kilometers traveled (millions)                              
Passenger cars 945,000 1,164,000 1,476,000 1,664,000 1,790,000 2,007,000 2,266,000 2,185,000 2,208,000 2,213,000 2,263,000 2,314,000 2,366,000 R2,418,000 2,488,000
Motorcycles a a 4,800 9,000 16,400 14,600 15,400 14,800 15,400 15,900 16,400 15,800 15,900 R16,200 16,500
Fuel consumed (million liters)                              
Passenger cars 155,849 188,222 256,723 280,650 264,911 270,725 R263,343 243,466 247,702 253,804 256,931 R257,680 262,030 R264,570 273,341
Motorcycles a a 227 428 772 689 723 697 723 750 776 742 750 765 776
Average kilometers traveled per vehicle (thousands)                              
Passenger cars 15.3 15.5 16.5 15.6 14.7 15.7 16.9 17.0 17.4 17.4 17.7 18.0 18.2 18.6 18.9
Motorcycles a a 1.7 1.8 2.9 2.7 R2.2 3.5 3.8 4.0 4.4 4.1 4.1 R4.2 4.3
Average kilometers traveled per liter                              
Passenger cars 6.1 6.2 5.7 5.9 6.8 7.4 8.6 9.0 8.9 8.7 8.8 9.0 9.0 9.1 9.1
Motorcycles a a 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
Average fuel consumed per vehicle (liters)                              
Passenger cars 2,527 2,501 2,877 2,630 2,179 2,117 1,970 1,898 1,957 1,993 2,009 2,007 2,020 R2,039 2,073
Motorcycles a a 80 86 136 127 170 167 178 188 207 190 194 200 200

a Included in passenger car. 

KEY: R = revised. 

NOTE: 
See table 4-12M for other 2-axle 4-tire vehicles. 

SOURCES: 
Passenger car:
Number registered: 
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC:  July 1997), table MV-201. 
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
All other passenger car data: 
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July  1997), table VM-201A. For 1970-94, the unrevised motorcycle vehicle-miles and fuel consumed are subtracted from the combined passenger car  and motorcycle vehicle-miles and fuel consumed from VM-201A. 
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1. 
Motorcycle: 
Number registered: 
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997),  table MV-201.  
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.  
All other motorcycle data: 
1970-85: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1985, table VM-201A. 
1990-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1. Average kilometers traveled per vehicle, average kilometers traveled per liter, average fuel consumed per vehicle: Derived by calcuation. 



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