DETROIT (Oct. 20, 2009) — It's official: Light trucks outnumber cars on U.S. roads—but for how long?
From 2002 to 2007, Americans bought more new trucks than cars, but light trucks didn't pass cars in terms of the number of vehicles in operation until the second quarter of this year, according to Experian Automotive, an automotive information service.
As of June 30, trucks—defined as pickups, minivans, crossovers, SUVs, etc. with gross vehicle weights of up to 14,000 pounds—accounted for 50.04 percent of the 240 million light vehicles registered throughout the U.S., according to the research firm, a unit of Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Experian Information Solutions Inc.
The predominance of trucks may be short-lived, though. Last year cars outsold trucks in the U.S. and have continued to do so in 2009. The gap is about 832,000 units through the first three quarters, Experian said.