Trends in transportation energy use, 1970--1988: An international perspective

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:6963047

Schipper, L; Steiner, R; Meyers, S

Personal mobility and timely movement of goods have become increasingly important around the world, and energy use for transportation has grown rapidly as a consequence. Energy is used in transportation for two rather different activities: moving people, which we refer to as passenger travel, and moving freight. While freight transport is closely connected to economic activity, much of travel is conducted for personal reasons. In the OECD countries, travel accounts for around 70% of total transportation energy use. In contrast, freight transport accounts for the larger share in the Former East Bloc and the developing countries (LDCs). In our analysis, we focus on three elements that shape transportation energy use: activity, which we measure in passenger-km (p-km) or tonne-km (t-km), modal structure (the share of total activity accounted for by various modes), and modal energy intensities (energy use per p-km or t-km). The modal structure of travel and freight transport is important because there are often considerable differences in energy intensity among modes. The average 1988 average energy use per p-km of different travel modes in the United States (US), West Germany, and Japan are illustrated. With the exception of rail in the US, bus and rail travel had much lower intensity than automobile and air travel. What is perhaps surprising is that the intensity of air travel is only slightly higher than that of automobile travel. This reflects the much higher utilization of vehicle capacity in air travel and the large share of automobile travel that takes place in urban traffic (automobile energy intensity in long-distance driving is much lower than the average over types of driving).

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: EPA; Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6963047
• Report Number(s): LBL-32384; CONF-9108137--4; ON: DE92041166
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320200* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation
AIR TRANSPORT
ASIA
CARGO
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
EUROPE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
JAPAN
LAND TRANSPORT
MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATORS
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPANTS
RAIL TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
USA