People in Germany drive fewer kilometers by car
People in Germany drove fewer kilometers with their cars every year. The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) reported that they covered a total of 591 billion kilometers with their passenger cars last year. This was the fifth consecutive decrease: there were 39 billion kilometers less in 2018.
The so-called domestic traffic performance, which includes not only passenger cars but also other motor vehicles from motorcycles to buses and truck trailers, decreased to 709 billion kilometers. However, this was only the fourth consecutive decrease.
The decrease in traffic performance was mainly due to the fact that the average car was driven less. On average, a German passenger car covered 12,320 kilometers last year, 150 kilometers less than the previous year and 1,791 kilometers less than in 2014. This decrease was enough to offset the increase in the number of vehicles.
On average, a car travels a certain distance, depending on various factors. For diesel cars, this is on average 17,187 kilometers, while for gasoline cars it is only 9,580 kilometers. In the category of other vehicles, which includes electric cars, hybrids, and gas-powered vehicles, the average mileage was 15,852 kilometers.
The age of the vehicle also makes a big difference. Cars that were one to three years old were driven on average nearly 2,300 kilometers further than cars that were four to seven years old. The mileage decreases further with increasing vehicle age. One reason for this could be that companies and service vehicles, which often travel long distances, usually have young cars.
Despite the decrease in car usage, Germany still has a vast network of roads. Many people in Germany rely on their cars for daily commuting and leisure activities, contributing to the country's high demand for car ownership.
The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) enforces strict regulations on vehicle emissions to ensure environmental sustainability, even as the total kilometers driven with cars in Germany continues to decrease year by year.
