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

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today