BTS | Table 4-22M. Energy Intensity of Passenger Cars, Other 2-Axle 4-Tire Vehicles, and Motorcycles

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BTS Home > Publications > National Transportation Statistics > 2000

Table 4-22M. Energy Intensity of Passenger Cars, Other 2-Axle 4-Tire Vehicles, and Motorcycles

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	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
Vehicle-kilometers (millions)
Passenger car	^R944,687	^R1,163,558	^R1,475,771	^R1,664,065	^R1,789,594	^R2,006,856	^R2,265,961	2,185,493	2,208,024	2,212,852	2,262,742	^R2,314,241	^R2,365,740	^R2,418,849	2,488,050
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle	N	N	^R197,950	^R323,479	^R468,320	^R629,255	^R925,375	1,044,466	1,137,808	1,200,573	1,231,150	^R1,271,384	^R1,314,836	^R1,369,554	1,393,695
Motorcycle	^b	^b	4,828	9,012	16,415	14,645	15,450	14,806	15,450	15,933	16,415	15,772	15,933	16,254	16,576
Passenger-kilometers (millions)^a
Passenger car	^R1,842,702	^R2,245,039	^R2,817,967	^R3,144,664	^R3,238,006	^R3,369,973	^R3,672,530	3,540,563	3,553,438	3,561,485	3,621,031	^R3,680,577	^R3,761,044	^R3,844,730	3,955,775
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle	N	N	363,712	^R584,193	^R838,470	^R1,107,231	^R1,609,347	1,797,641	1,934,435	2,016,512	2,042,261	^R2,021,340	^R2,088,932	^R2,177,446	2,216,071
Motorcycle	^b	^b	4,828	9,656	19,312	19,312	19,312	19,312	19,312	19,312	19,312	^R17,703	^R17,703	^R17,703	17,703
Fuel consumed (million liters)
Passenger car	155,849	188,222	256,723	280,650	264,911	270,725	263,344	243,466	247,702	253,804	256,931	257,681	262,030	^R264,570	273,341
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle	N	N	46,610	72,229	90,078	103,580	134,802	144,667	154,933	162,209	166,982	172,634	179,254	^R186,954	191,462
Motorcycle	^b	^b	227	428	772	689	723	697	723	750	776	742	750	765	776
Energy intensiveness (1,000 Joules/passenger-kilometer)^R
Passenger car	2,947	2,921	3,174	3,109	2,850	2,799	2,498	2,396	2,429	2,483	2,472	2,439	2,427	2,397	2,407
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle	N	N	4,465	4,308	3,743	3,259	2,918	2,804	2,790	2,803	2,849	2,975	2,990	2,991	3,010
Motorcycle	^a	^a	1,639	1,543	1,393	1,243	1,304	1,257	1,304	1,352	1,400	1,460	1,475	1,505	1,527

^a Passenger-kilometers are derived by multiplying vehicle-kilometers by an average occupancy rate for that vehicle type based on data provided by the Federal Highway Administration, Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, 1977, 1983, 1995. Average vehicle occupancy rates are as follows: passenger car (1960-97): 1.95, 1.93, 1.91, 1.89, 1.81, 1.68, 1.62, 1.62, 1.61, 1.61, 1.60, 1.59, 1.59, 1.59; other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle (1960-97): 1.87, 1.85, 1.83, 1.81, 1.79, 1.76, 1.74, 1.72, 1.70, 1.68, 1.66, 1.64, 1.64, 1.64; motorcycle (1960-97): 1.1, 1.1, 1.1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.3, 1.27, 1.25, 1.23, 1.21, 1.18, 1.18, 1.18.
^b Included in passenger car.

KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised.

NOTES: In 1995, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration revised its vehicle type categories for 1993 and later data. These new categories include passenger car, other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck, and combination truck. Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle includes vans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. In previous years, some minivans and sport utility vehicles were included in the passenger car category. Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more trucks are on a single frame with at least 2 axles and 6 tires. Pre-1993 data have been reassigned to the closest available category.
The heat equivalent factor used for joules conversion is 34,839,537 joules/liter.

SOURCES:
Vehicle-kilometers:
Passenger car:
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle:
1960-94: Ibid., Highway Statistics, Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Motorcycle:
1970-85: Ibid., Highway Statistics, Summary to 1985 (Washington, DC: 1986), table VM-201A. For 1970-94, the unrevised motorcycle vehicle-kilometers are subtracted from the combined passenger car and motorcycle vehicle-kilometers from VM-201A.
1990-98 Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Passenger-kilometers: Passenger-kilometers multiplied by vehicle occupancy rates.
Fuel consumed:
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A. For 1970-94, the unrevised motorcycle fuel consumed is subtracted from the combined passenger car and motorcycle fuel consumed from VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.

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