Campaign Facts and Figures

Americans are ”buying bigger“ – between 1990 and 2006, the purchase of SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) rose from 5.6% to 32.4%.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007)
While energy consumption by cars has increased by only 7% since 1970, consumption by light trucks has increased more than five times between 1970 and 2005 (1,539 trillion BTU in 1970 to 8,108 trillion BTU in 2006) by an average of 4.9% each year.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007).
There are about 240 million cars and trucks driven in the U.S.

(U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2007)
Americans drive about 3 trillion miles per year, or about 12,500 miles per vehicle per year.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007)
The average family owns two cars. The average household drives almost 22,000 miles a year.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007)
In 2001, the average trip distance to work was 12.2 miles.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007)
Not including the cost of the vehicle itself, Americans spent about 10% of their annual income on their vehicles in 2005. In comparison, they spent 32.7% on housing; 12.8% on food; 5.1% on entertainment; and 1% on public transportation.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007)
The average commuter can save up to $260 per year by carpooling to work twice a week and sharing the cost of gasoline with two other people (assuming $3.21/gallon, three people in a car getting 20.1 mpg, and a 12.2 mile average trip). By telecommuting from home twice a week, the average worker could save up to $390 per year.

(Alliance to Save Energy based on data from the 2007 Transportation Energy Data Book and from the U.S. Energy Information Administration)
In 2000, 76% of all U.S. workers got to work by driving alone, while 11% car-pooled, and 5% took public transportation. Additionally, a little more than 3% worked from home and not quite 3% walked to work. The rest either rode a bike, rode a motorcycle, or used some other mode of transportation.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007)
Currently, the transportation sector in the U.S. consumes more than twice as much oil as our nation produces domestically.

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007).
In 2007, only 33% of the nation‘s crude oil was produced domestically, while 66% was imported, with about half of those imports coming from OPEC nations.

(U.S. Energy Information Administration).
Transportation in the U.S. consumes almost 14 million barrels of oil per day. This is roughly 68% of the more than 20 million total barrels used daily and more than 28% of total U.S. energy consumption (including coal and other energy sources). Of the oil used for transportation, more than 11 million barrels per day are used for highway transportation (cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles).

(Transportation Energy Data Book, 2007).

Drive Smarter Challenge

Campaign Facts and Figures

Americans are ”buying bigger“ – between 1990 and 2006, the purchase of SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) rose from 5.6% to 32.4%.

While energy consumption by cars has increased by only 7% since 1970, consumption by light trucks has increased more than five times between 1970 and 2005 (1,539 trillion BTU in 1970 to 8,108 trillion BTU in 2006) by an average of 4.9% each year.

There are about 240 million cars and trucks driven in the U.S.

Americans drive about 3 trillion miles per year, or about 12,500 miles per vehicle per year.

The average family owns two cars. The average household drives almost 22,000 miles a year.

In 2001, the average trip distance to work was 12.2 miles.

Not including the cost of the vehicle itself, Americans spent about 10% of their annual income on their vehicles in 2005. In comparison, they spent 32.7% on housing; 12.8% on food; 5.1% on entertainment; and 1% on public transportation.

In 2000, 76% of all U.S. workers got to work by driving alone, while 11% car-pooled, and 5% took public transportation. Additionally, a little more than 3% worked from home and not quite 3% walked to work. The rest either rode a bike, rode a motorcycle, or used some other mode of transportation.

Currently, the transportation sector in the U.S. consumes more than twice as much oil as our nation produces domestically.

In 2007, only 33% of the nation‘s crude oil was produced domestically, while 66% was imported, with about half of those imports coming from OPEC nations.