Average Age Of U.S. Vehicles Hits Record High: 11.5 Years - The Car Connection
Well, it's true of our cars, too: according to IHS Automotive, the average age of U. S. vehicles has hit a record high of 11. 5 years. In other words, the average passenger vehicle on the road today was built for the 2004 model year. Despite all the hullabaloo around recalls in recent years , today's cars are, on average, better made than the models we drove 15, 20, or 30 years ago. This trend is likely to continue, as the industry steadily moves toward electric vehicles, which have fewer moving parts and thus, fewer opportunities to break down. Autonomous cars will help, too, by reducing the number of collisions on the road -- and the need to replace those crashed vehicles. Not only are our cars lasting longer, but people are continuing to drive them. They're not gathering dust in our garages, they're not heading to junkyards, they're being given to kids and grandkids or landing on used car lots. The slowing rate of accidents is helping this phenomenon: though the number of registered vehicles continues to increase, the number of auto accidents in the U. S. has remained fairly stable, resulting in a lower percentage of totaled vehicles. People are holding onto their cars for longer than they once did. According to IHS, motorists now keep new vehicles for an average of 77. 8 months -- 26 months longer. Source: www.thecarconnection.com
