Some 283.4 million vehicles were registered in the United States in 2022. The figures include passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. The number of light trucks sold in the U.S. stood at 10.9 million units in 2022. U.S. vehicle registrations The United States is one of the world’s largest automobile markets based on the number of new light vehicle registrations, with more than 13.8 million new light vehicle registrations in 2021. However, domestic production of automobiles fell to around 1.6 million units in 2021 and has struggled to increase in 2022. At the same time, the United States imports a significant number of vehicles from various countries, such as Japan, Mexico, and Canada. Leading car manufacturers in the United States The leading car manufacturers overall in the United States include the domestic heavyweights General Motors and Ford. With respect to car brands, the Ford brand clocked in at number one in 2022, selling around 1.8 million vehicles in the United States alone. The brand's holding company is the Ford Motor Company; it was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 in Dearborn, Michigan. The company pioneered in large-scale car manufacturing and introduced production methods such as the assembly line.

In the second quarter of 2024, there were around 291.1 million vehicles operating on roads throughout the United States. Almost 38.9 million used vehicles changed owners in the U.S. between the second quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024, while new registrations of vehicles came to about 15.5 million units during that period. Automotive market disparities The number of licensed drivers had been steadily increasing up to just under 235,100 in 2022, but the automotive market has been impacted by economic developments over the past few years. The U.S. vehicle fleet is aging, reflected by the slow increase of the average vehicle age from 11.7 years in 2018 to over 12 years in 2023. This is in part due to market disparities. The average selling price of new vehicles has been increasing to over 47,000 U.S. dollars in 2023, up from under 35,000 in 2016. Used car prices have also been rising amidst the chip shortages linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching around 29,300 U.S. dollars in 2023. The majority of U.S. car owners earned more than 40,000 U.S. dollars per years, with the 50,000 to 75,000 income group owning over 33 percent of the vehicles in use. The boom of the used vehicle market Close to three-quarter of new car buyers were born between 1946 and 1981, with Gen X being the leading consumers by age group for both the new and used vehicle market. Used light vehicle sales have been steadily increasing since 2010, representing well over double the size of the new light vehicle market in 2023. With a product range priced below new vehicle prices, used vehicles are gaining momentum in the United States. The average American household spends some 5,500 U.S. dollars on vehicle purchases annually, with consumers in income groups earning above 100,000 U.S. dollars per year spending above 7,200 dollars annually on car buying. Used vehicle financing options are naturally more affordable than new vehicle financing options, with an average monthly payment over 726 dollars for loan payments for new vehicles.

Key information about US Number of Registered Vehicles

• US Number of Registered Vehicles was reported at 283,400,986 Unit in Dec 2022.
• This records an increase from the previous number of 282,354,993 Unit for Dec 2021.
• US Number of Registered Vehicles data is updated yearly, averaging 93,949,852 Unit from Dec 1910 to 2022, with 113 observations.
• The data reached an all-time high of 283,400,986 Unit in 2022 and a record low of 468,500 Unit in 1910.
• US Number of Registered Vehicles data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data.
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Global Economic Monitor – Table: No of Registered Vehicles: Annual.

The graph displays the number of registered motor vehicles in the United States by type in 2022. The x-axis represents vehicle types—cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, and all motor vehicles—while the y-axis shows the total number of registrations for each type. Registrations range from 954,119 buses to 172,932,334 trucks, with cars totaling 99,946,870 and motorcycles at 9,567,664. The total number of all registered motor vehicles stands at 283,400,986, highlighting the dominance of trucks compared to other vehicle types.

In 2023, California had the most automobile registrations: almost 13.2 million such vehicles were registered in the most populous U.S. federal state. California also had the highest number of registered motor vehicles overall: nearly 30.4 million registrations.

Graph and download economic data for Sales: Retail Trade: Car Registration: Passenger Cars for United States (USASLRTCR03MLSAM) from Jan 1960 to Oct 2023 about car registrations, trade, vehicles, retail trade, sales, and retail.

Key information about United States Motor Vehicle Production

• United States Motor Vehicle Production was reported at 10,611,555.000 Unit in Dec 2023.
• This records an increase from the previous number of 10,052,958.000 Unit for Dec 2022.
• US Motor Vehicle Production data is updated yearly, averaging 11,292,123.000 Unit from Dec 1997 to 2023, with 27 observations.
• The data reached an all-time high of 13,024,978.000 Unit in 1999 and a record low of 5,731,397.000 Unit in 2009.
• US Motor Vehicle Production data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Association: Automobile Sector – Table RA.OICA.MVP: Motor Vehicle Production: by Country.

Car Registrations in the United States increased to 219.90 Thousand in February from 192.40 Thousand in January of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Car Registrations - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The statistic presents the number of passenger cars insured in the United States from 2007 to 2015. In 2015, there were approximately 203 million passenger cars insured in the U.S.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Used Cars and Trucks in U.S. City Average (CUSR0000SETA02) from Jan 1953 to Feb 2025 about used, trucks, vehicles, urban, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Key information about United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Commercial Cars

• United States Motor Vehicle Sales: Commercial Cars was reported at 12,892,621.000 Unit in Dec 2023.
• This records an increase from the previous number of 11,371,749.000 Unit for Dec 2022.
• US Motor Vehicle Sales: Commercial Cars data is updated yearly, averaging 9,784,346.000 Unit from Dec 2005 to 2023, with 19 observations.
• The data reached an all-time high of 12,892,621.000 Unit in 2023 and a record low of 5,200,478.000 Unit in 2009.
• US Motor Vehicle Sales: Commercial Cars data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Association: Automobile Sector – Table RA.OICA.MVS: Motor Vehicle Sales: by Country and Type: Commercial Vehicle (CV).

The graph displays the number of car accident fatalities by type in the United States from 2010 to 2022. The x-axis represents the years, labeled from '10 to '22, while the y-axis indicates the number of fatalities. Each year includes data points for four categories: Passenger Vehicle, Pedestrian, Two-Wheeled Vehicle, and Large Truck fatalities. Passenger Vehicle fatalities range from a low of 21,076 in 2014 to a high of 26,650 in 2021. Pedestrian fatalities increase from 4,300 in 2010 to a peak of 7,467 in 2022. Two-Wheeled Vehicle fatalities vary between 5,022 in 2014 and 7,287 in 2022. Large Truck fatalities are the lowest among the categories, ranging from 346 in 2010 to 533 in 2022. The data reveals an overall upward trend in fatalities across all categories, particularly notable in the years 2021 and 2022.

The U.S. auto industry sold nearly three million cars in 2024. That year, total car and light truck sales were approximately 15.9 million in the United States. U.S. vehicle sales peaked in 2016 at roughly 17.5 million units. Pandemic impact The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the U.S. automotive market, accelerating the global automotive semiconductor shortage and leading to a drop in demand during the first months of 2020. However, as demand rebounded, new vehicle supply could not keep up with the market. U.S. inventory-to-sales ratio dropped to its lowest point in February 2022, as Russia's war on Ukraine lead to gasoline price hikes. During that same period, inflation also impacted new and used car prices, pricing many U.S. consumers out of a market with increasingly lower car stocks. Focus on fuel economy The U.S. auto industry had one of its worst years in 1982 when customers were beginning to feel the effects of the 1973 oil crisis and the energy crisis of 1979. Since light trucks would often be considered less fuel-efficient, cars accounted for about 77 percent of light vehicle sales back then. Thanks to improved fuel economy for light trucks and cheaper gas prices, this picture had completely changed in 2020. That year, prices for Brent oil dropped to just over 40 U.S. dollars per barrel. The decline occurred in tandem with lower gasoline prices, which came to about 2.17 U.S. dollars per gallon in 2020 - and cars only accounted for less than one-fourth of light vehicle sales that year. Four years on, prices are dropping again, after being the highest on record since 1990 in 2022.

Graph and download economic data for Retail Sales: Used Car Dealers (MRTSSM44112USN) from Jan 1992 to Jan 2025 about used, dealers, vehicles, retail trade, sales, retail, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Motor Vehicle Parts and Equipment in U.S. City Average (CUUR0000SETC) from Dec 1977 to Feb 2025 about parts, vehicles, equipment, urban, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Vehicle Miles Traveled (TRFVOLUSM227NFWA) from Jan 1970 to Jan 2025 about miles, travel, vehicles, and USA.

Over the course of the 20th century, the number of operational motor vehicles in the United States grew significantly, from just 8,000 automobiles in the year 1900 to more than 183 million private and commercial vehicles in the late 1980s. Generally, the number of vehicles increased in each year, with the most notable exceptions during the Great Depression and Second World War.

Details of Motor Vehicle Collisions in New York City provided by the Police Department (NYPD).

There were 34 new car models offered in the U.S. market in 2021, down from 42 new models the previous year. Overall, the number of new models offered each year is tipped to almost double by 2025, reaching some 62 new car models that year.

The U.S. sport utility vehicle market Between 2011 and 2020, crossovers made up the largest share of the country’s automobile market, accounting for 38 percent of new car models during this period of time. It is expected that the crossover segment will gain additional market share between 2022 and 2025, with every second new model being a crossover. Toyota was the leading sport utility vehicle manufacturer in the first half of 2021, the Toyota RAV4 being the best-selling SUV in the U.S. market at some 114,225 units. The same model totaled around 995,762 sales worldwide in 2020.

Car models offered in the U.S. market

In terms of U.S. passenger car sales, Ford was the most important car brand as of 2020, followed by Toyota, Chevrolet, and Honda. About 2.2 million passenger cars were produced in the United States in 2020, the lowest number since 2010. As of 2020, the Ford F-Series was among the best selling car or light truck models in the world, topping 968,000 sales that year. The Ford F-Series, which have been available since the 1940s, is a series of light-duty trucks and medium-duty trucks. Ford's second best selling passenger car is the Ford Focus, which began production in 1998 under the Ford Motor Company in Europe and soon after moved to North America in 1999.

Graph and download economic data for Monthly State Retail Sales: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers in California (MSRSCA441) from Jan 2019 to Nov 2024 about dealers, parts, vehicles, retail trade, CA, sales, retail, and USA.