Maps and Data

This chart shows average annual fuel use (per vehicle) for major vehicle categories in the United States. The metric used is gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs), representing a quantity of fuel with the same amount of energy contained in a gallon of gasoline. The two factors affecting the average annual fuel use of a vehicle are the average miles traveled per year (correlative) and the fuel economy of the vehicle (inversely correlative). Class 8 trucks, which typically travel long distances carrying heavy loads, consume more fuel on average than any other vehicle type. Refuse trucks are inefficient because of their heavy loads and stop-and-go drive cycles and consume the second largest amount of fuel. Transit buses, like refuse trucks, are inefficient because of their drive cycles and heavy loads. Demand response, delivery trucks, and school buses have a higher fuel economy which reduces their annual fuel use. The last three vehicle types are owned by individual consumers, and they each use a fraction of the fuel consumed by fleet-based vehicles, on a per-vehicle basis. See also Average Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled by Major Vehicle Category and Average Fuel Economy by Major Vehicle Category.

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