Do You Know What Year the U.S. Hit Peak Gasoline Consumption?

Michael Sivak of the Univ. of Michigan has published another key report documenting our waning love affair with the automobile. Sivak documents peak overall gasoline consumption occurring in 2004. Per capita fuel consumption may have peaked in 2003.

2 minute read

November 24, 2013, 7:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


Dr. Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) looked at fuel consumption of light-duty vehicles in the U.S. from 2004-2011 and found that it fell 11 percent during that period. By no means was that the only aspect of auto use that has fallen in the last decade. 

E&E reporter Julia Pyper writes that "(f)uel consumption rates per person, per licensed driver, per household and per registered vehicle fell even more sharply and are now below where they were in 1984. Each of these rates peaked in 2003 or 2004, ahead of the 2008 financial recession, and fell 13 to 17 percent by 2011."

Sivak suggests that these peaks in consumption rates will stand because they "occurred several years prior to the onset of the current economic downturn."

Pyper lists many of Sivak's reports which may also be found in the "related" links below.

The UMTRI report [PDF] is the latest report in a series of studies. Earlier research found that the overall number of registered light-duty vehicles in the United States peaked in 2008 and the number of registered vehicles on a per-capita basis peaked in 2006. Sivak also found the number of vehicle miles traveled peaked in 2004 and declined 5 to 9 percent per person, per licensed driver, per household and per registered vehicle by 2011 (ClimateWire, July 29). [ClimateWire is subscription - also see Planetizen, June 20, 2013]

As for the primary cause of the fuel consumption reduction, Sivak points to fuel efficiency, though a reduction in driving clearly contributed as well.

According to Sivak, the steeper drop in fuel consumption over the corresponding decrease in distance driven -- 13 to 17 percent versus 5 to 9 percent -- reflects an improvement in vehicle fuel efficiency.

While reduced fuel consumption is clearly good for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on imported oil, there is a downside, described by Deron Lovaas, federal transportation policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "(I)t presents a problem for a transportation network that relies on the federal gasoline tax to fund upgrades and expansions," he said. "It turns out it intensifies the need to find a new solution for our transportation funding problem."

Thursday, November 21, 2013 in Scientific American

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight