Digital Auto Care Factbook & Lang Annual 2017 - 58

U.S. TOTAL MOTOR VEHICLE POPULATION
The number of registered motor vehicles in the U.S. grew to 272 million in 2016. The number increased by 2.6
percent from the previous year's 265.3 million. Of the 272 million total vehicle fleet, light vehicles accounted for 264.1
million, while medium and heavy-duty truck registrations totaled 7.9 million.
The fact that Americans are continuing to hold their cars longer bodes well for the auto care industry. For the fifth
year in a row, the average age of passenger cars reached 11 years. Light truck longevity increased from 11.5 to 11.6
years in 2016. On average, light vehicles are being held one-year longer than seven years ago.
Evidence of the aging light vehicle fleet can be seen in the age mix of vehicles. This chart shows that vehicles in the
11+ year old category now comprises 48 percent of total light vehicles (up from 36.3 percent in 2008) and is growing
significantly faster (CAGR 4.1) than the other two categories reported. It is this analysis that helps to explain how the
industry can sustain growth in the face of rising gasoline prices and flattening miles driven.
Additional evidence of the aging light vehicle population can be seen in the overall scrappage rate in 2016, hovering
just below 4.5 percent the past two years.

U .S . Vehicle Population (VIO), 2002-2016
(in Thousands)
CARS

Report
Year Domestic

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

81,999
79,727
77,005
74,092
71,179
68,553
65,896
63,220
60,316
58,111
55,416
52,949
51,581
50,501
49,368

LIGHT TRUCKS (GVW 1-3)

Import

Total

48,449
50,462
52,182
53,821
55,554
57,419
59,417
61,236
62,135
63,261
64,117
65,677
68,049
70,440
72,616

130,448
130,189
129,187
127,913
126,733
125,971
125,313
124,456
122,451
121,372
119,533
118,625
119,631
120,941
121,984

%
Import Domestic Import

37.1%
38.8%
40.4%
42.1%
43.8%
45.6%
47.4%
49.2%
50.7%
52.1%
53.6%
55.4%
56.9%
58.2%
59.5%

84,376
87,820
91,036
94,037
96,390
97,889
98,905
98,453
96,678
96,164
95,547
94,726
95,170
96,440
98,351

15,706
17,221
19,025
21,087
23,211
25,452
27,676
29,249
30,302
31,938
33,642
35,498
37,800
40,530
43,740

Total

%
Import

100,082
105,042
110,061
115,124
119,602
123,341
126,581
127,702
126,981
128,102
129,188
130,224
132,970
136,969
142,091

15.7%
16.4%
17.3%
18.3%
19.4%
20.6%
21.9%
22.9%
23.9%
24.9%
26.0%
27.3%
28.4%
29.6%
30.8%

Light Truck
% of
Total
Total Light
Light
Vehicles
Vehicles

43.4%
44.7%
46.0%
47.4%
48.6%
49.5%
50.3%
50.6%
50.9%
51.3%
51.9%
52.3%
52.6%
53.1%
53.8%

230,529
235,231
239,248
243,038
246,335
249,312
251,894
252,158
249,432
249,474
248,721
248,849
252,601
257,910
264,075

MED . & HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS

TOTAL VEHICLES

Medium
Duty
Trucks
GVW4-6

% Change
from
All
Previous
Vehicles
Year

2,528
2,817
2,773
2,834
2,797
2,790
2,749
2,567
2,853
2,493
2,867
2,845
2,629
2,704
2,903

Heavy
Duty
Medium
Trucks & Heavy
GVW7-8 Trucks

4,276
4,730
4,826
4,795
4,703
4,806
4,647
4,346
4,819
4,185
4,817
4,993
4,490
4,652
5,071

6,803
7,548
7,599
7,629
7,501
7,596
7,395
6,914
7,673
6,678
7,684
7,839
7,119
7,356
7,973

237,333
242,778
246,847
250,667
253,835
256,908
259,289
259,072
257,105
256,152
256,405
256,688
259,720
265,266
272,048

2.3%
1.7%
1.5%
1.3%
1.2%
0.9%
-0.1%
-0.8%
-0.4%
0.1%
0.1%
1.2%
2.1%
2.6%

U .S . Light Vehicle Population, 2002-2016
(Thousands of Vehicles)
000's
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0

2002

2003

2004

2005

Domestic Cars
Notes:

2006

2007

Import Cars

2008

2009

2010

2011

Domestic Light Trucks

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Import Light Trucks

Historical data have been revised. Domestic vehicles refer to those vehicles manufactured by U.S. companies (GM, Ford, Chrysler, Tesla) and their sub-brands.

Source: Light vehicle registration counts from R. L. Polk & Co.'s NVPP® database as of December 31, 2015.
Medium and heavy duty truck registration from R. L. Polk & Co.'s Trucking Industry Profile® system as of December 31, 2015.
IHS Automotive © 2016. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission of R. L. Polk & Co., 248-728-7000, www.polk.com

58

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Auto Care Factbook & Lang Annual 2017
