Changing vehicle preferences are contributing to increasing consumption of motor fuels in the U.S.
Minivans and sport-utility vehicles are displacing traditional passenger vehicles in the residential transportation sector, according to the Energy Information Administration.
It reported one in nine of the 156.8 million vehicles in the household fleet in 1994 were minivans or sport-utility vehicles, compared with one in 21 in 1988, when the fleet totaled 147.5 million vehicles.
EIA said traditional sedans, station wagons, and pick-up trucks still made up most of the fleet in 1994. Among households with vehicles, the average number of vehicles remained at 1.8.
Minivans and sport-utility vehicles are classified as "light trucks" and are exempt from gas-guzzler and luxury-vehicle taxes, while being subject to lower fuel-economy standards than traditional passenger cars.
Changing consumer patterns
EIA said consumers are buying more minivans and sport-utility vehicles despite their lower gas mileage.
"One reason may be that when inflation-adjusted gasoline prices are relatively low, as they have been since the mid-1980s, consumers have less incentive for choosing higher fuel-economic vehicles. In 1994, the number of minivans increased 268% from the number in 1988, and the number of sport-utility vehicles increased 98%."
The EIA report also said U.S. household vehicles traveled 1.793 trillion miles in 1994, a distance greater than 70 million trips around the world. U.S. household vehicles traveled 282 billion miles more in 1994 than in 1988.
There were 9.3 million more household vehicles in 1994 than in 1988, and each of those vehicles averaged 11,400 miles in 1994 vs. 10,200 miles in 1988. Minivans and sport-utility vehicles were driven the most, an average of 13,400 miles and 12,700 miles, respectively.
Despite the increasing number of light trucks, the fuel economy of the average household vehicle improved.
In 1994, it was 19.8 mpg, up from 18.3 mpg in 1988.
U.S. household vehicles consumed 90.6 billion gal of motor fuel in 1994, up from 82.4 billion gal in 1988.
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