ING THE DISTANCE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
PLANE
TRAIN
MOTORCYCLE
CAR
BUS
All vehicles—especially trains, planes, and buses—are
generally more energy efficient per passenger when they are
filled to capacity because moving multiple people requires
only slightly more fuel than moving one person. But when they
are not filled to capacity, their energy efficiency numbers may
The amount of energy* required to move each
passenger in the vehicle one mile
MOTORCYCLE
1,742
TRAIN
98
PLANE (for international operations)
73
CAR
3,501
BUS
3,511
*in British Thermal Units
fall below their potential.
DISTANCE
Average miles traveled by an individual vehicle
or train car per year.
*for international and domestic operations
imaginationatwork A collaboration between GOOD and Deeplocal
Americans are always on the move. Whether it's getting to work,
running errands around town, or visiting Grandma, we love our planes,
trains, and automobiles. But how energy efficient are these ways of
getting around? Looking at key factors like the distances traveled and
how much energy is expended and consumed, we start to see a better
picture of how everyday modes of transportation add up.
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Average fuel used by an individual vehicle or
per train car per year in gallons
1,900
11,800
8,400
231,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation (data from 2008)
Note: Train data based on Amtrak statistics. Data for all other vehicles will vary according to
specific model, region, and size,
carhelp.com