Motor vehicle

The United States has the world's highest rate of vehicle ownership per capita in the world, with over 50,000 vehicles in operation (VIO) per 1000 people in 2016.[1]
Electric bicycles parked in Yangzhou's main street, Wenchang Lu. They are a very common way of transport in this city, in some areas almost outnumbering regular bicycles.
British manufacturer engine motorcycle

A motor vehicle, also known as a motorized vehicle, automotive vehicle, automobile, or road vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams), does not fly (such as airplanes or helicopters), does not float on water (such as boats or ships), and is used for the transportation of people or cargo.

The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. For legal purpose, motor vehicles are often identified within a number of vehicle classes including cars, buses, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, light trucks and regular trucks. These classifications vary according to the legal codes of each country. ISO 3833:1977 is the standard for road vehicle types, terms and definitions.[2] Generally, to avoid requiring people with disabilities from having to possess an operator's license to use one, or requiring tags and insurance, powered wheelchairs will be specifically excluded by law from being considered motor vehicles.

As of 2011, there were more than one billion motor vehicles in use in the world, excluding off-road vehicles and heavy construction equipment.[3][4][5] The US publisher Ward's estimates that as of 2019, there were 1.4 billion motor vehicles in use in the world.[6]

Global vehicle ownership per capita in 2010 was 148 vehicles in operation (VIO) per 1000 people.[5] China has the largest motor vehicle fleet in the world, with 322 million motor vehicles registered at the end of September 2018.[7] The United States has the highest vehicle ownership per capita in the world, with 832 vehicles in operation per 1000 people in 2016.[1] Also, China became the world's largest new car market in 2009.[4][5][8] In 2022, a total of 85 million cars and commercial vehicles were built, led by China which built a total of 27 million motor vehicles.[9]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USeDataBook36 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "ISO 3833:1977". International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TwoBillion was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Plunket11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Wards11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Saja, Fabio (April 2020). "How Many Cars Are There In The World?". Drive Tribe. Archived from the original on 2021-04-03. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference ChinaInUse2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "2022 Production Statistics". International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. Retrieved 5 November 2023.