New Energy Data
2nd November 2026
The average car in the United States used 2,914 British thermal units (BTUs) per passenger-mile in 2023, while the average light truck (pick-ups, vans, SUVs) used 3,364, according to the 41st edition of the Transportation Energy Data Book, which the Department of Energy released last week. This book was several years late; normally, they are issued annually but this is the first one since 2022.
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In any case, even at the reduced occupancies, cars and light trucks are still more fuel efficient than transit in every urban area except New York, whose transit systems used 2,903 BTUs per passenger-mile, a virtual tie with cars but lower than light trucks. As shown in my analysis of the 2025 National Transit Database, transit in every other urban area used more than 4,000 BTUs per passenger-mile.