Table 4-20: Energy Intensity of Passenger Modes
(Btu per passenger-mile)
| 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | (R) 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air, certificated carrier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic operations | 8,633 | 10,118 | 10,185 | 7,746 | 5,742 | 5,047 | 4,932 | 4,671 | 4,564 | 4,558 | 4,444 | 4,382 | 4,183 | 4,166 | 4,123 | 4,049 | 3,883 | (R) 3,848 | (R) 3,609 | (R) 3,496 | 3,410 | (R) 3,232 | 3,142 | 3,040 | 2,931 |
| International operations | 9,199 | 10,292 | 10,986 | 8,465 | 4,339 | 5,103 | 4,546 | 4,609 | 4,258 | 4,099 | 4,145 | 4,173 | 4,108 | 4,168 | 4,278 | 4,123 | 3,833 | (R) 4,039 | (R) 3,989 | (R) 4,179 | 3,888 | (R) 3,825 | 3,676 | 3,578 | 3,473 |
| Highwaya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passenger car | 4,495 | 4,455 | 4,841 | 4,743 | 4,348 | 4,269 | 3,811 | 3,654 | 3,703 | 3,785 | 3,771 | 3,721 | 3,688 | 3,657 | 3,637 | 3,672 | 3,589 | 3,597 | 3,600 | 3,570 | 3,509 | 3,585 | 3,510 | 3,518 | 3,501 |
| Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle | N | N | 6,810 | 6,571 | 5,709 | 4,971 | 4,539 | 4,277 | 4,256 | 4,275 | 4,345 | 4,538 | 4,541 | 4,564 | 4,569 | 4,612 | 4,509 | 3,985 | 4,121 | 4,452 | 4,452 | 4,077 | 4,042 | 4,008 | 3,980 |
| Motorcycleb | U | U | 2,500 | 2,354 | 2,125 | 1,896 | 2,227 | 1,917 | 1,990 | 2,063 | 2,135 | 2,274 | 2,271 | 2,273 | 2,273 | 2,273 | 2,273 | 2,049 | 1,969 | 1,969 | 1,969 | 1,784 | 1,805 | 1,750 | 1,742 |
| Transit motor bus | N | N | N | N | 2,742 | 3,389 | 3,723 | 3,767 | 4,038 | 3,944 | 4,162 | 4,155 | (R) 3,853 | (R) 3,681 | (R) 3,646 | (R) 3,546 | (R) 3,618 | (R) 3,492 | (R) 3,308 | (R) 3,201 | (R) 3,240 | (R) 2,685 | 2,882 | 2,771 | 2,656 |
| Amtrak | N | N | N | 2,383 | 2,148 | 2,089 | 2,066 | 1,978 | (R) 2,024 | (R) 2,018 | (R) 1,900 | (R) 2,017 | (R) 2,201 | (R) 2,289 | (R) 2,255 | (R) 2,344 | (R) 2,688 | (R) 2,690 | 2,537 | 2,145 | 2,068 | 2,025 | 1,948 | 1,824 | 1,745 |
KEY: Btu = British thermal unit; N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = data are unavailable.
a For 1995 and subsequent years, highway passenger-miles were taken directly from Highway Statistics rather than derived from vehicle-miles and average occupancy, as is the case for 1960-1994.
b 1960 and 1965 data are included in passenger car.
NOTES
To calculate total Btu, multiply fuel consumed (see tables 4-21, 4-22, 4-24, 4-25) by 135,000 Btu/gallon for air carrier; 125,000 Btu/gallon for passenger car, other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle, and motorcycle; 138,700 Btu/gallon for transit motor bus and Amtrak diesel consumption; and 3,412 Btu/KwH for Amtrak electric consumption.
Amtrak passenger-miles data for 2000 and earlier years are for fiscal years; and are not be comparable with 2001 and later years which is reported in calendar year.
Transit motor bus data for 1996 and later years are obtained from the National Transit Database and cannot be compared with data for earlier years.
SOURCES
Air:
Certificated air carriers:
Passenger-miles:
1960-80: Air Transport Association, available at http://www.airlines.org as of Aug. 30, 2004.
1985-2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington DC: Annual December issues).
Fuel consumed:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption, available at http://www.bts.gov/oai/fuel/fuelyearly.html as of Feb. 2, 2010.
Highway:
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.
1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of Feb. 3, 2010.
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle:
1970-94: Ibid., Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A.
1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of Feb. 3, 2010.
Motorcycle:
1970-85: Ibid., Highway Statistics Summary to 1985, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A.
1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of Feb. 3, 2010.
Transit motor bus:
1980-1995: American Public Transportation Association, 2008 Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: Annual issues), tables 2 and 28, and similar tables in earlier editions.
1996-2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (Washington, D.C.: Annual reports), available at http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/data.htm as of Feb. 4, 2010
Amtrak:
Amtrak, State and Local Affairs Department, personal communications, Apr. 21, 2008 and Jan. 7, 2010.