Acknowledgments US Department of Transportation - BTS

Table 3-17: Average Cost of Owning and Operating an Automobile a (Assuming 15,000 Vehicle-Miles per Year)1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Average total cost per mile (current ¢) 14.4 21.2 23.2 33.0 37.3 38.8 38.7 39.4 41.2 42.6 44.8 46.1 47.0 49.1 51.0 50.2 51.7 56.2 52.2 52.2 54.1 54.0 56.6 58.5Gas b 4.8 5.9 5.6 5.4 6.6 5.9 5.9 5.6 5.8 5.6 6.6 6.2 5.6 6.9 7.9 5.9 7.2 6.5 9.5 8.9 11.7 10.1 11.4 12.3Gas as a percent of total cost b 33.4 27.9 24.0 16.4 17.7 15.2 15.2 14.2 14.1 13.1 14.7 13.5 11.9 14.1 15.5 11.7 13.9 11.6 18.2 17.1 21.6 18.7 20.1 21.1Maintenance c 1.0 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.8 3.1 3.3 3.6 3.9 4.1 4.1 5.4 4.9 4.9 4.6 4.6 4.5 4.4Tires 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.0Average total cost per 15,000 miles (current $) 2,154 3,176 3,484 4,954 5,601 5,824 5,804 5,916 6,185 6,389 6,723 6,908 7,050 7,363 7,654 7,533 7,754 8,431 7,834 7,823 8,121 8,095 8,487 8,776Variable cost 968 1,143 1,113 1,260 1,455 1,350 1,380 1,365 1,440 1,440 1,620 1,605 1,590 1,829 2,040 1,770 1,965 1,890 2,265 2,175 2,545 2,313 2,511 2,662Fixed cost d 1,186 2,033 2,371 3,694 4,146 4,474 4,424 4,551 4,745 4,949 5,103 5,303 5,460 5,534 5,614 5,764 5,789 6,541 5,569 5,648 5,576 5,783 5,976 6,114a All figures reflect the average cost of operating a vehicle 15,000 miles per year in stop and go conditions.b Prior to 2004, data include oil cost.cBeginning in 2004, data include oil cost.dFixed costs (ownership costs) include insurance, license, registration, taxes,depreciation, and finance charges.NOTESChanges in methodology have been made in 1985 and 2004, and thus costs may not be comparable before and after those years.In 2004, the American Automobile Association adopted a new method for calculating vehicle operating costs that represent the real-world personaluse of a vehicle over a five-year and 75,000-mile ownership period. The total cost of owning and operating an automobile include fuel,Maintenance , Tires , insurance, license, registration and taxes, depreciation, and finance.Prior to 1985, the cost figures are for a mid-sized, current model, American car equipped with a variety of standard and optional accessories. After1985, the cost figures represent a composite of three current model American cars. The 2004 fuel costs are based on average late-2003 U.S.prices from AAA's Fuel Gauge Report: www.fuelgaugereport.com. Insurance figures are based on a full-coverage policy for a married 47-year-oldmale with a good driving record living in a small city and commuting three to ten miles daily to work. The policy includes $100,000/$300,000 levelcoverage with a $500 deductible for collision coverage and a $100 deductible for comprehensive coverage. Depreciation costs are based on thedifference between new-vehicle purchase price and its estimated trade-in-value at the end of five years. American Automobile Association analysiscovers vehicles equipped with standard and optional accessories including automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering, power discbrakes, AM/FM stereo, driver- and passenger-side air bags, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, tinted glass, emissions equipment,and rear-window defogger.The sum of Variable and Fixed costs may not add to totals due to rounding.SOURCEAmerican Automobile Association, Your Driving Costs (Heathrow, FL: Annual Issues), available at http://www.aaapublicaffairs.com/Main/ as of Apr.13, 2011.