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Why We Ask Questions About...
Vehicles Available and Electric Vehicles

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American Community Survey (ACS)
Within About the ACS
graphical representation of house in a community with vehicles highlighted

We ask a question about the vehicles available to each household and electric vehicles to create statistics about vehicle access and electric vehicle usage. Vehicle data help:

  • Plan and fund improvements to road and highway infrastructure.
  • Develop transportation plans and services.
  • Understand how people are traveling in the course of a normal day.
  • Evaluate pollution and access to transportation in emergencies.
  • Better anticipate future energy needs.

Your privacy concerns

We use your confidential survey answers to create statistics like those in the results below and in the full tables that contain all the data—no one is able to figure out your survey answers from the statistics we produce. The Census Bureau is legally bound to strict confidentiality requirements. Individual records are not shared with anyone, including federal agencies and law enforcement entities. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, including companies, other federal agencies, and law enforcement.

Questions as they appear on the form

We ask one question about how many vehicles are available in a household to understand access to transportation. We ask one question about owning or leasing an electric vehicle to better anticipate future energy needs.

Results from these questions

The results from the vehicles available question are compiled to provide communities with important statistics for infrastructure development and emergency planning. You can see some of these published statistics here for the nation, states, and your community. Data for electric vehicles are planned to be released starting in 2026.

United States

View State and Local Data for a State

View State and Local Data for a County or City / Town in (↑ change state using menu above ↑)

Vehicles available and electric vehicles data help communities:

Improve Transportation

We ask how many households have access to vehicles, in combination with where people commute to and from, and whether they commute with a personal vehicle to help transportation planners create mass transportation and metropolitan plans that are compliant with various regulations.

Local agencies and organizations use these data to plan programs and services for the disabled population, bicycle commuters, carpool and ride-sharers, and many other groups. They also use the statistics to predict future use of new or updated transportation systems based on their understanding of the current users of various transportation options.

Understand Changes in Vehicle Use

We ask about vehicle availability and use to help communities understand exposure to air pollution and plan programs to help people without vehicles move about the community. The data also help communities plan emergency response based on whether people could evacuate using their personal vehicles in an emergency.

Understand Energy Supply, Demand, and Technology

We ask about electric vehicles to understand energy consumption at the local level to help make the technology and capital changes necessary within the energy infrastructure in order to meet consumer needs.

History of vehicles available and electric vehicles questions

The vehicles available question originated with the 1960 Census. It transferred to the ACS in 2005 when it replaced the decennial census long form. The electric vehicles question was added to the ACS in 2025.

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