Letter: No truck with cars

From Ian Davies

Fred Pearce, arguing that the west may be falling out of love with the car, says that US car sales have fallen from 11 million in 1985 to 5.5 million in 2009 (13 August, p 26).

But he neglects to mention pick-up trucks, which when included send the total to 11 to 12 million a year, as reported in The Wall Street Journal. And these totals are projected to increase slowly with any improvement in the national economy.

The editor writes:

• The article used figures from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which show a steep decline in car sales – and an even steeper decline in light truck sales from a peak in 2004. Vehicle leases show a similar pattern.

Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, UK