Household Mileage Revisited
I see discussions of relative fuel costs “hybrid vs nearest-equivalent” around the web again. One datum that I haven’t addressed in a while is the assumed miles-per-year driven. Maybe I’m thinking about it now because 12,000 is thrown around so often as typical … and I think I’m running at a 20,000 mile-per-year clip, with really just a few road trips. Reading:
EIA Home > Transportation Home Page > Chapter 3. Vehicle-Miles Traveled
I see that there is (of course) a graduation, and the newest cars on the road are driven the most. In 1994, the average new car was driven 14,300 miles. So there’s something that should be changed right off in the new car spreadsheets. Beyond that though, it makes more sense to think about getting one’s house in order … and looking at the impact of fuel economy and gas prices on an entire household. I played with some numbers a few months ago, but I see now:
People in the average U.S. household in 1994 drove their vehicles 21,100 miles, far enough to travel from New York City(3) to San Francisco seven times. That number, however, represents the average of about 85 million U.S. households with vehicles in 1994, and the average masks significant variation. For example, typical householder A, an older person whose children had left home, drove only 8,600 miles in 1994. That same year, people in typical household B, which included teenagers of driving age, drove 29,900 miles. And people in household C, which also included teenagers of driving age and which had an income of $50,000 or more, drove 40,200 miles.
What fun, maybe I can do a table showing gas costs for each household, at various MPGs, and $2.50 a gallon gas price.
| One New Car | Typical Family | Family With Teens | 50K With Teens | |
| 15,000 miles | 21,000 miles | 29,900 miles | 40,200 miles | |
| 10 mpg | 3750 | 5250 | 7250 | 10050 |
| 15 mpg | 2500 | 3500 | 4833 | 6700 |
| 20 mpg | 1875 | 2625 | 3625 | 5025 |
| 25 mpg | 1500 | 2100 | 2900 | 4020 |
| 30 mpg | 1250 | 1750 | 2417 | 3350 |
| 40 mpg | 938 | 1312 | 1812 | 2512 |
| 50 mpg | 750 | 1050 | 1450 | 2010 |
I know some families with teens that have all SUVs (the parents have new ones and the kids have hand-me-downs). I wonder if they know what they are spending?
Other than that … I’ll walk to Trader Joe’s today, as I try to get my (supposedly environmental) use pattern back in line with everyone else’s new cars.
January 28th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Good post.
Wish I had the pulled up the EIA data a few months ago that you referenced.
I was trying to explain the household results portrayed in Figures 3-7 and 3-9. He was stuck on the results of Figure 3-8. I said 20,000 overall at a minimum for household usage, and he was stuck on 12,000. He didn’t believe me because of a news article that he just read. And, yep, he was an economist.
The chart that you’ve created is noteworthy. That’s an excellent way to portray overall household usage. Sort of one step beyond EPA fuel economy data posted at fuel.gov.
Thanks for the effort to clear the air on this one. Well done.
I’ve sent your info to him.
MG
January 28th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
You have a problem with your web site recognizing comment posts…
Still says you have no comments.
January 28th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
The comment system isn’t perfect. The way it works is, all “new” posters (people) go in a queue, and I need to OK them manually. I’ve been gone and didn’t check back until just now. Sometimes it takes days (as whem I’m travelling).
In this case I blew my “walk only” day by driving 20 miles to help someone rip out old sprinklers and tree roots before driving home again. My car and I both probably feel used.
January 28th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Oh, thanks for the complement, and since you are approved your posts should fly in now.