A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. For legal purposes motor vehicles are often identified within a number of vehicle classes including automobiles or cars, buses, motorcycles, motorized bicycles, off highway vehicles, light trucks or light duty trucks, and trucks or lorries. These classifications vary according to the legal codes of each country. ISO 3833:1977 is the standard for road vehicles types, terms and definitions.[1]
As of 2010 there were more than one billion motor vehicles in use in the world excluding off-road vehicles and heavy construction equipment.[2][3][4] Global vehicle ownership per capita in 2010 was 148 vehicles in operation per 1000 people.[4] The United States has the largest fleet of motor vehicles in the world, with 239.8 million by 2010. Vehicle ownership per capita in the U.S. is also the highest in the world with 769 vehicles in operation per 1000 people.[4] The People's Republic of China has the second largest fleet in the world, with slightly more than 78 million vehicles and since 2009 became the world's largest new car market.[3][4][5]
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The U.S. publisher Ward's, estimate that as of 2010 there were 1.015 billion motor vehicles in use in the world. This figure represents the number of cars; light, medium and heavy duty trucks; and buses, but does not include off-road vehicles or heavy construction equipment. They state that the world vehicle population passed the 500 million-unit mark in 1986, and 250 million motor vehicles in 1970. Between 1970 and 1950, the vehicle population doubled roughly every 10 years.[2][3][4] Two U.S. researchers estimate that the world's fleet will reach 2 billion motor vehicles by 2020, with cars representing at leas 50% of all vehicles. China’s and India’s automobile fleets are expected to grow at an annual rate of around 7 or 8%, while the slowest growth is expected in the United States, with less than 1% a year, and Western Europe, with 1 to 2%.[2]
Global vehicle ownership in 2010 was 148 vehicles in operation per 1000 inhabitants, a ratio of 1:6.75 vehicles to people, slightly down from 150 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants in 2009, a rate of 1:6.63 vehicles to people.[4] In developing countries vehicle ownership rates in cities rarely exceed 200 cars per 1,000 population.[6]
The following table summarizes the evolution of vehicle registrations in the world from 1960 to 2009:
| Historical trend of worldwide vehicle registrations 1960-2009 (thousands)[7] |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of vehicle | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2009 |
| Car registrations(1) | 98,305 | 193,479 | 320,390 | 444,900 | 548,558 | 617,914 | 681,154 |
| Truck and bus registrations | 28,583 | 52,899 | 90,592 | 138,082 | 203,272 | 245,798 | 284,101 |
| World total | 126,888 | 246,378 | 410,982 | 582,982 | 751,830 | 863,712 | 965,255 |
| Note (1) Cars registrations do not include U.S. light trucks (SUVs, minivan and pickups) that are used for personal travel. These vehicles are accounted among trucks. | |||||||
The 27 European Union (EU-27) member countries had a fleet of over 256 million in 2008, and passenger cars accounted for 87% of the union's fleet. The five largest markets, Germany (17.7%), Italy (15.4%), France (13.3%), the UK (12.5%), and Spain (9.5%), accounted for 68% of the region's total registered fleet in 2008.[8][9] The EU-27 member countries had in 2009 an estimated ownership rate of 473 passenger cars per 1000 people.[10]
According to Ward's, Italy had the second highest (after the U.S.) vehicle ownership per capita in 2010, with 690 vehicles per 1000 people.[4] Germany had a rate of motorization of 534 vehicles per 1000 people and the UK of 525 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants, both in 2008. France had a rate of 575 vehicles per 1000 people and Spain 608 vehicles per 1000 people in 2007.[11] Italy also leds in alternative fuel vehicles, with a fleet of 730,000 natural gas vehicles through December 2010, the largest NGV fleet in Europe.[12] Sweden, with 225,000 flexible-fuel vehicles, has the largest flexifuel fleet in Europe by mid 2011.[13]
| Historical evolution of vehicle ownership rates in the U.S. (Selected years 1900–2009)[14] |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Veh. per 1000 people |
Year | Veh. per 1000 people |
Year | Veh. per 1000 people |
| 1900 | 0.11 | 1940 | 245.63 | 1980 | 710.71 |
| 1905 | 0.94 | 1945 | 221.80 | 1990 | 773.40 |
| 1910 | 5.07 | 1950 | 323.71 | 2000 | 800.30 |
| 1920 | 86.78 | 1960 | 410.37 | 2007 | 843.57 |
| 1930 | 217.34 | 1970 | 545.35 | 2009 | 828.04 |
According to Ward's, the U.S. has the largest fleet of motor vehicles in the world, with 239.8 million by 2010, and vehicle ownership per capita in the U.S. is also the highest in the world with 769 vehicles in operation per 1000 inhabitants, or a ratio of 1:1.3 vehicles to people.[4] The U.S. Department of Energy reports a higher motorization rate of 828 vehicles per 1000 people and a total fleet of 245,441 vehicles by 2009. According to USDoE, the rate of motorization peaked in 2007 at 842.6 vehicles per 1000 people.[14] In terms of licensed drivers, as of 2009 the country had 1.0 vehicle for every licensed driver, and 1.87 vehicles per household.[15]
The fleet of alternative fuel vehicles in the United States includes almost 10 million E85 flexible-fuel vehicles,[16] the world's second largest after Brazil, but actual use of ethanol fuel is significantly limited due to the lack of E85 refueling infrastructure;[17] The fleet of hybrid electric vehicles in the United States is the largest in the world, with more than 2.0 million units by mid 2011.[18] The country's fleet also includes 112,000 natural gas vehicles through December 2010, mainly transit buses and delivery fleets.[12] Despite is relative small size, natural gas use accounted for about 52% of all alternative fuels consumed by alternative transportation fuel vehicles in the U.S. in 2009.[19]
The People's Republic of China has the second largest fleet in the world, with slightly more than 78 million vehicles, overtaking Japan in 2010.[3][4] About 13.6 million vehicles were sold in 2009, and motor vehicle registrations in 2010 increased to more than 16.8 million units, representing nearly half the world’s fleet increase in 2010.[3][4]
The number of cars and motorcycles in China increased 20 times between 2000 and 2010.[20] This explosive growth has allowed China to become the world's largest new car market, overtaking the U.S. in 2009.[3][5] Nevertheless, ownership per capita is 58 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants, or a ratio of 1:17.2 vehicles to people, well below the rate of motorization of developed countries.[4]
Japan had 73.9 million vehicles by 2010, and had the world's second largest motor vehicle fleet until 2009.[4] With more than 1.1 million hybrid electric vehicles, Japan has the second largest hybrid fleet in the world after the US.[21]
The Brazilian motor vehicle fleet reached 64.8 million vehicles in 2010, up from 29.5 million units in 2000, representing a 119% growth in ten years, and reaching a motorization rate of 294 vehicles per 1000 people.[22] In 2010 Brazil experienced the second largest fleet increase in the world after China, with 2.5 million vehicle registrations.[4]
Brazil has the largest alternative fuel vehicle fleet in the world with more than 18 million motor vehicles by June 2011, with 14.3 million flexible-fuel vehicles,[23][24][25] including more than 1 million flex-fuel motorcycles;[26][27][28] between 2.4 to 3.0 million neat ethanol vehicles still in use,[29][30] out of 5.7 million ethanol only light-vehicles produced since 1979;[23] and as of December 2010, a total of 1.66 million natural gas vehicles.[12] In addition, all the Brazilian gasoline-powered fleet is designed to operate with high ethanol blends, up to 25% ethanol fuel (E25).
India’s vehicle fleet had the second-largest growth rate after China in 2010, with 8.9%. The fleet went from 19.1 million in 2009 to 20.8 million units in 2010.[4] India has a fleet of 1,080,000 natural gas vehicles through December 2010.[12]
As of January 2011, the Australian motor vehicle fleet had 16.4 million registered vehicles, with an ownership rate of 730 motor vehicles per 1000 people, up from 696 vehicles per 1000 residents in 2006. The motor vehicle fleet grew 14.5% since 2006, for an annual rate of 2.7% during this five-year period.[31]
The following table compares vehicle ownership rates by region with the U.S., the country with the highest motorization rate in the world, and how it has evolved from 1999 to 2009.
| Comparison of motorization rates by region 1999 and 2009 (vehicles per 1000 people)[32] |
||
|---|---|---|
| Country/Region | 1999 | 2009 |
| Africa | 20.9 | 24.9 |
| Asia, Far East | 39.1 | 157.7 |
| Asia, Middle East | 66.2 | 101.2 |
| Canada | 560.0 | 620.9 |
| Central and South America | 133.6 | 169.7 |
| Europe, East | 370.0 | 363.9 |
| Europe, West | 528.8 | 583.3 |
| Pacific | 513.9 | 560.9 |
| United States | 790.07 | 828.04 |
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