- Light trucks (SUVs, crossovers, pickups, vans) now represent 78% of new vehicle sales in the United States, up from 33% in 1990.
- Passenger car sales have declined from 67% of the market in 1990 to just 22% today.
- SUVs and crossovers alone account for approximately 55% of all new vehicle sales.
- The shift toward larger vehicles has been partially offset by within-class fuel economy improvements, limiting the impact on total national fuel consumption.
01 The Shift from Cars to Trucks
The most dramatic change in American vehicle buying over the past three decades has been the shift from passenger cars (sedans, coupes, wagons) to light trucks (SUVs, crossovers, pickups, minivans). The EPA and FHWA track this transition through production share and registration data.
EPA, "The 2023 EPA Automotive Trends Report," Chapter 2: Vehicle Sales and Market ShareIn 1990, passenger cars accounted for approximately 67% of new vehicle sales and light trucks just 33%. By 2005, the split was roughly 50/50. By 2023, the ratio had inverted dramatically: light trucks represented 78% of new sales while passenger cars had fallen to just 22%.
EPA Automotive Trends Report (2023), Table 2.1: production share by vehicle type, 1975–2023This shift was driven by consumer preferences for higher seating positions, perceived safety advantages, cargo versatility, and the proliferation of car-based crossover SUVs that combined SUV styling with car-like handling and fuel economy.
02 Registration Data Over Time
The FHWA tracks total vehicle registrations by type. The on-road fleet changes more slowly than new sales because vehicles remain registered for an average of 12+ years.
FHWA, Highway Statistics Series, Table MV-1: State Motor Vehicle Registrations| Year | Passenger Cars (millions) | Light Trucks (millions) | Light Truck Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 133.7 | 49.9 | 27% |
| 1995 | 128.4 | 65.7 | 34% |
| 2000 | 127.7 | 79.1 | 38% |
| 2005 | 132.9 | 95.3 | 42% |
| 2010 | 129.0 | 101.9 | 44% |
| 2015 | 118.8 | 115.1 | 49% |
| 2020 | 108.4 | 125.3 | 54% |
| 2023 | 100.5 | 136.8 | 58% |
The on-road fleet reached the crossover point around 2020, when light trucks first outnumbered passenger cars in total registrations. By 2023, there were approximately 136.8 million light trucks versus 100.5 million passenger cars registered in the United States.
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Use the Calculator03 The Rise of SUVs and Crossovers
Within the light truck category, the growth has been driven overwhelmingly by SUVs and crossovers rather than by traditional pickups or vans. The EPA Automotive Trends Report shows that SUV/crossover production has grown from under 10% of the market in the early 1990s to over 55% today.
EPA Automotive Trends Report (2023), Figure 2.2: production share by vehicle type, detailed breakdown| Vehicle Type | 1990 Share | 2005 Share | 2023 Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan / Coupe | 60% | 38% | 17% |
| Station Wagon | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| SUV / Crossover | 8% | 28% | 55% |
| Pickup Truck | 16% | 17% | 15% |
| Minivan / Van | 9% | 7% | 4% |
| Other | — | 5% | 4% |
Pickup truck market share has remained relatively stable at 15–17%, while minivan share has declined from 9% to 4% as families shifted to three-row SUVs. The sedan/coupe category has experienced the sharpest decline, from 60% to just 17%.
04 Impact on National Fuel Consumption
The shift from cars to light trucks affects national fuel consumption because light trucks have lower average fuel economy. However, the impact has been partially mitigated by dramatic efficiency improvements within the truck category.
EPA Automotive Trends Report (2023), Table 3.1: adjusted fuel economy by vehicle type| Year | Car Avg MPG | Truck Avg MPG | Combined Fleet MPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 27.2 | 19.8 | 24.0 |
| 2000 | 27.5 | 20.5 | 24.0 |
| 2005 | 28.1 | 21.0 | 24.5 |
| 2010 | 29.6 | 22.0 | 25.3 |
| 2015 | 31.1 | 23.6 | 26.4 |
| 2023 | 32.5 | 24.5 | 26.4 |
Despite light trucks growing from 33% to 78% of sales, the combined fleet fuel economy has improved from 24.0 to 26.4 MPG over this period. This is because truck fuel economy improved from 19.8 to 24.5 MPG (a 24% gain), largely through turbocharging, direct injection, cylinder deactivation, and more efficient transmissions. See our average MPG by year article for the full trend data.
EPA Automotive Trends Report (2023): technology adoption rates and fuel economy improvement attribution05 Electric Vehicle Registrations
Electric vehicles remain a small but rapidly growing share of registrations. The DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center and FHWA data show that EV registrations have grown from under 100,000 in 2015 to over 3 million cumulative by 2023, representing roughly 1.3% of all light-duty vehicles on the road.
DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, "Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Fueling Station Counts"; FHWA Highway StatisticsNew EV sales reached approximately 8–9% of new vehicle sales in 2023, up from under 2% in 2020. If this trajectory continues, EVs could represent a significant share of the on-road fleet within the next decade, with substantial implications for national gasoline consumption and household fuel cost savings.
DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center; EIA Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.13: transportation sector energy consumption06 Data Sources
- EPA: Automotive Trends Report (2023). epa.gov/automotive-trends
- FHWA: Highway Statistics Series, Table MV-1. fhwa.dot.gov
- ORNL: Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 41. tedb.ornl.gov
- DOE: Alternative Fuels Data Center – Vehicle Registration Counts. afdc.energy.gov
- EIA: Monthly Energy Review. eia.gov