9208.0 - Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia, Oct 2000  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/06/2001   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

MEDIA RELEASE

June 27, 2001
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
78/2001

Australia's vehicles travel 181 billion km in 2000

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey of motor vehicle use indicates that Australia's vehicles travelled 181 billion kilometres in the 12 months ended 31 October 2000, at an average of 14,800 kilometres per vehicle. This is about the same as in each of the previous two years - the small increase in total kilometres travelled over the three years reflecting similarly small increases in the number of vehicles on the road.

Of the total vehicle fleet, eight out of 10 were passenger vehicles, which accounted for over three quarters (139 billion kilometres) of the total distance travelled at an average of 14,300 kilometres per vehicle. In comparison, the average distance travelled by articulated trucks was more than six times greater at 88,900 kilometres per vehicle, while buses averaged 31,700 kilometres.

Vehicles used a total of 25 billion litres of fuel, about the same total as last year, at an average rate of 13.8 litres of fuel per hundred kilometres. Unleaded petrol accounted for over half of all fuel consumed during the period, at 14 billion litres. Diesel use was 6 billion litres at an average of 25.1 litres per hundred kilometres, while 2 billion litres of LPG, CNG or dual fuel was used at an average of 18 litres per hundred kilometres.

Passenger vehicles used a total of 16 billion litres of fuel, of which 88% was petrol. Unleaded petrol consumption accounted for 83% of all petrol used by these vehicles. Passenger vehicles using petrol consumed on average 11.3 litres per hundred kilometres, while those using diesel fuel used an average of 12.6 litres per hundred kilometres.

Other findings from the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use for 12 months ended 31 October 2000 were:
  • Nearly 60% of all passenger vehicle travel was within the capital city of the state of registration compared to only 18% of articulated truck travel.
  • Over 40% (79 billion kilometres) of total kilometres travelled by vehicles was for personal and other use while approximately one third of total kilometres travelled was for business purposes.
  • Freight carrying vehicles carried 1,399 million tonnes of goods and travelled an estimated 21 billion kilometres while laden.

Further details can be found in Survey of Motor Vehicle Use (cat. no. 9208.0) which is available from ABS bookshops. The main features of this publication are available on this site. If you wish to purchase a copy of the publication contact the ABS Bookshop in your capital city.