How many vehicle types are there?
There isn’t a single fixed number. The count depends on how you classify vehicles and what you include. On public roads, UN/EU regulators group vehicles into four main categories (L, M, N, O) with about 17 subtypes; in the U.S., the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) uses 13 traffic classes; in everyday consumer terms, you’ll encounter roughly a dozen body styles. If you include air, sea, rail, off‑road and specialty machines, the list expands to dozens rather than one definitive figure.
Contents
Why there isn’t one universal number
“Vehicle type” can mean different things: regulatory classes for safety and licensing, highway classes used for traffic and tolling, consumer body styles for shoppers, or propulsion types (gasoline, electric, hydrogen). It can also span domains beyond roads—aircraft, watercraft, rail vehicles and off‑road machinery. Each framework has its own logic and granularity, which is why reputable sources present different totals.
Common ways vehicles are categorized
Global regulatory categories (UN/EU)
For road vehicles, global and European rules consolidate types into a small set of headline categories, then split them into subcategories for safety and type approval. The most widely referenced grouping is from UN/ECE and adopted across the EU.
- L: Two- and three‑wheeled vehicles and quadricycles (L1e to L7e; e.g., mopeds, motorcycles, trikes, micro‑cars/quadricycles)
- M: Passenger vehicles with at least four wheels (M1 to M3; e.g., cars, minibuses, coaches, defined by seats/weight)
- N: Goods vehicles with at least four wheels (N1 to N3; light, medium and heavy trucks by mass)
- O: Trailers and semi‑trailers (O1 to O4; by permissible mass)
Taken together, this yields four main groups with 17 standard subcategories (7 L + 3 M + 3 N + 4 O). The EU also defines agricultural/forestry categories—T (wheeled tractors), C (tracked tractors), R (agricultural trailers) and S (interchangeable towed machinery)—which expand the regulatory landscape beyond everyday road traffic.
United States highway classification
For traffic counts, pavement design and tolling, the FHWA uses a 13‑class scheme that groups vehicles by axles and configuration rather than consumer labels.
- Motorcycles
- Passenger cars
- Other two‑axle, four‑tire single‑unit vehicles (includes many SUVs, pickups, small vans)
- Buses
- Two‑axle, six‑tire single‑unit trucks
- Three‑axle single‑unit trucks
- Four‑or‑more‑axle single‑unit trucks
- Four‑or‑fewer‑axle single‑trailer trucks
- Five‑axle single‑trailer trucks
- Six‑or‑more‑axle single‑trailer trucks
- Five‑or‑fewer‑axle multi‑trailer trucks
- Six‑axle multi‑trailer trucks
- Seven‑or‑more‑axle multi‑trailer trucks
This scheme totals 13 classes and is widely used by states for counters and weigh‑in‑motion systems. It is not a consumer‑facing taxonomy but a functional one for infrastructure and enforcement.
Consumer body styles (light road vehicles)
Retail buyers and automakers use body‑style labels that describe a vehicle’s shape and use case. The list shifts over time as niches appear (e.g., crossovers) and converge.
- Sedan/saloon
- Hatchback
- Wagon/estate/shooting brake
- Coupé
- Convertible/cabriolet/roadster
- SUV (sport‑utility vehicle)
- Crossover (car‑based SUV)
- Pickup truck
- Minivan/MPV
- Van (cargo/passenger)
- Microcar/kei car/city car
- Sports/supercar (performance‑focused)
Depending on how finely you split segments (for example, coupe‑SUVs or fastbacks), you will typically see about 10–15 recurring consumer body styles in the light‑vehicle market.
Powertrain and fuel types
Another common lens focuses on how vehicles are powered. As electrification expands, these categories are increasingly important for policy, taxation and infrastructure.
- Gasoline/petrol internal combustion engine (ICE)
- Diesel ICE
- Flex‑fuel (e.g., E85 ethanol blends)
- LPG/CNG (liquefied petroleum gas/compressed natural gas)
- Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)
- Plug‑in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)
- Battery electric vehicle (BEV)
- Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV, hydrogen)
- Hydrogen ICE (emerging, limited production)
Most markets today revolve around about 8–10 propulsion categories, with BEVs and hybrids growing fastest and hydrogen technologies developing in selected segments and regions.
Beyond road vehicles
If you broaden the scope to all vehicles—not just those on roads—the number of “types” increases substantially across air, water, rail and off‑road domains.
- Aircraft: fixed‑wing airplanes, rotorcraft (helicopters), gliders, tiltrotors, eVTOL/air taxis
- Watercraft: boats, ships, personal watercraft, submarines, autonomous surface/underwater vehicles
- Rail: locomotives, passenger multiple units (EMU/DMU), trams/light rail, freight wagons
- Off‑road and specialty: ATVs/UTVs, agricultural tractors/combines, construction equipment (excavators, loaders), snowmobiles
- Space: launch vehicles, spacecraft, rovers
Across these domains, standards bodies and industry groups maintain their own taxonomies, yielding dozens of distinct categories depending on operational environment and function.
Putting numbers on it
If your focus is road vehicles under common regulatory frameworks, expect four headline categories with roughly 17 subtypes (UN/EU L, M, N, O) and, in the U.S., 13 FHWA highway classes. In the showroom, consumers encounter about a dozen recurring body styles, while propulsion choices cluster into roughly 8–10 mainstream powertrains. Once you include air, sea, rail and off‑road machines, the number of “vehicle types” expands to many dozens, with no single global total accepted across all contexts.
Summary
There is no single answer to “How many vehicle types are there?” It depends on the classification lens. Regulators typically cite four main road‑vehicle groups with about 17 subcategories; U.S. highway operations use 13 classes; consumer body styles number around a dozen; and powertrains about 8–10. Broadened to all transport domains, the count rises to many dozens of categories.
How many styles of cars are there?
At Car and Driver, we separate vehicles into eight primary body styles, making them easier to categorize. Within those eight broad body styles are a host of different variations that get even more specific — think luxury versus non-luxury, compact versus full-size.
What are the three categories of a vehicle?
FHWA categorizes vehicles as Light Duty (Class 1-2), Medium Duty (Class 3-6), and Heavy Duty (Class 7-8). EPA defines vehicle categories, also by GVWR, for the purposes of emissions and fuel economy certification.
How many types of vehicles are there?
The term “vehicle” typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velomobiles), animal-powered transports (e.g. horse-drawn carriages/wagons, ox carts, dog sleds), motor vehicles (e.g. motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters) and railed vehicles (trains, trams …
How many car categories are there?
There are approximately a dozen main car body types (like sedan, SUV, and hatchback), but classifying cars by their physical design, size, features, or purpose leads to a much larger number of specific categories and subclasses, resulting in thousands of individual car models and variations worldwide.
Major Categories
Cars are broadly grouped into categories based on their body style, such as:
- Sedan: A classic car with a separate, enclosed trunk.
- Hatchback: A compact car with a rear door (hatch) that swings upward to open.
- SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle): A robust vehicle with high ground clearance, often used for off-roading and family trips.
- Coupe: Typically a two-door car with a sloping, sleek roofline.
- Convertible: A car with a retractable or removable roof.
- Pickup Truck: A vehicle with an open cargo area in the rear.
- Minivan: A spacious vehicle designed to carry multiple passengers and their cargo.
- Station Wagon: A car with an extended roofline and a rear hatch, designed to carry both people and cargo.
Other Ways to Classify Cars
- By Size and Class: Cars are also segmented by size, such as microcars, city cars, compact cars, and luxury vehicles.
- By Purpose: Some types are defined by their intended use, including sports cars (for performance), luxury cars (for comfort and premium features), and muscle cars (for powerful, American-made performance).
- By Powertrain: This categorization includes different types of vehicles based on their engine and fuel source, such as hybrid vehicles, electric cars (EVs), and internal combustion engine cars.
Why so Many Types?
The wide variety of cars available stems from different consumer tastes, market segmentation, and ongoing technological advancements in the automotive industry. Manufacturers constantly develop new designs and features to meet the diverse needs and preferences of drivers worldwide.
