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Great care should be taken when comparing modal energy intensity data among modes. Because of the inherent differences among the transportation modes in the nature of services, routes available, and many additional factors, it is not possible to obtain truly comparable national energy intensities among modes. These values are averages, and there is a great deal of variability even within a mode.
Table 2.10 Passenger Travel and Energy Use, 2003
Energy intensities
Number of vehicles (thousands)
Vehicle-miles (millions)
Passenger-miles (millions)
Load factor (persons/ vehicle)
(Btu per vehicle-mile)
(Btu per passenger-mile)
Energy use (trillion Btu)
Cars
135,669.9
1,660,828
2,607,547
1.57
5,572
3,549
9,254.7
Personal trucks a
76,627.3
835,666
1,437,346
1.72
6,894
4,008
5,760.9
Motorcycles
5,370.0
9,539
11,638
1.22
2,500
2,049
23.8
Demand responseb
36.0
864
930
1.1
21,319
19,806
18.4
Vanpool
6.6
89
541
6.1
8,489
1,401
0.8
Buses
c
c
c
c
c
c
186.8
Transit
78.0
2,435
21,262
8.7
36,628
4,160
89.2
Intercityd
c
c
c
c
c
c
28.3
Schoold
631.4
c
c
c
c
c
69.3
Air
c
c
c
c
c
c
2,217.3
Certificated routee
c
c
578,745
c
c
3,587
2,075.9
General aviation
209.7
c
c
c
c
c
141.4
Recreational boats
12,665.0
c
c
c
c
c
203.6
Rail
18.6
1,311
30,321
23.1
69,947
3,024
91.7
Intercity (Amtrak)
0.4
331
5,680
17.2
50,453
2,935
16.7
Transit (light & heavy)
12.2
694
15,082
21.7
70,173
3,228
48.7
Commuter
6.0
286
9,559
33.4
91,958
2,751
26.3
Source:
See Appendix A for Passenger Travel and Energy Use.
a Changed significantly due to newly available data from the 2002 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey. See Appendix A for details.
b Includes passenger cars, vans, and small buses operating in response to calls from passengers to the transit operator who dispatches the vehicles.
c Data are not available.
d Energy use is estimated.
e Includes domestic scheduled services and l/i of international scheduled services (Table 2.13 shows only domestic services). These energy intensities may be inflated because all energy use is attributed to passengers-cargo energy use is not taken into account.
Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 25-2006