Fact #493: October 29, 2007
Market Share - Cars vs. Light Trucks
Before the popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), cars dominated the light vehicle market. The graph below shows that the market share for pickup trucks has remained between 10 and 20% since 1975, and the market share for vans grew in the 1990's, but declined slightly in recent years. The market share for cars has declined as the SUV market has increased. The 2006 data show cars having 54% of the light vehicle market, but 2007 estimates show SUVs making a comeback.
New Light Vehicle Market Share, 1975-2005
Supporting Information
| Year | Car | Van | Pickup | SUV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 80.6% | 4.5% | 13.1% | 1.8% |
| 1976 | 78.8% | 4.1% | 15.1% | 2.0% |
| 1977 | 80.0% | 3.6% | 14.4% | 2.0% |
| 1978 | 77.3% | 4.3% | 15.6% | 2.6% |
| 1979 | 77.7% | 3.5% | 15.9% | 2.9% |
| 1980 | 83.5% | 2.0% | 12.7% | 1.6% |
| 1981 | 82.8% | 2.3% | 13.6% | 1.3% |
| 1982 | 80.2% | 3.3% | 14.8% | 1.6% |
| 1983 | 77.8% | 3.6% | 15.7% | 2.8% |
| 1984 | 76.2% | 4.8% | 14.5% | 4.4% |
| 1985 | 74.7% | 5.8% | 14.4% | 5.1% |
| 1986 | 71.8% | 6.8% | 16.4% | 5.1% |
| 1987 | 72.2% | 7.4% | 14.5% | 5.9% |
| 1988 | 70.2% | 7.5% | 16.1% | 6.4% |
| 1989 | 69.3% | 8.8% | 15.4% | 6.4% |
| 1990 | 69.9% | 10.0% | 14.6% | 5.6% |
| 1991 | 67.8% | 8.2% | 15.3% | 8.7% |
| 1992 | 66.6% | 10.0% | 15.2% | 8.3% |
| 1993 | 64.0% | 10.9% | 15.1% | 10.0% |
| 1994 | 59.6% | 10.1% | 18.9% | 11.5% |
| 1995 | 62.1% | 10.9% | 15.0% | 12.0% |
| 1996 | 60.0% | 10.7% | 14.9% | 14.3% |
| 1997 | 57.6% | 8.8% | 16.7% | 17.0% |
| 1998 | 55.2% | 10.3% | 16.7% | 17.8% |
| 1999 | 55.1% | 9.6% | 16.7% | 18.7% |
| 2000 | 55.0% | 10.2% | 15.7% | 18.9% |
| 2001 | 53.9% | 7.9% | 16.1% | 22.1% |
| 2002 | 51.6% | 7.7% | 14.8% | 26.0% |
| 2003 | 50.3% | 7.8% | 15.6% | 26.2% |
| 2004 | 47.9% | 6.1% | 15.9% | 29.9% |
| 2005 | 50.5% | 9.3% | 14.6% | 25.8% |
| 2006 | 54.0% | 7.7% | 14.1% | 24.4% |
| 2007 | 50.9% | 6.4% | 13.7% | 29.0% |
|
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2007, September 2007 | ||||
Return to 2007 Facts of the Week