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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 4-6: Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-6: Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation

(Trillion Btu)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Air                                  
Certificated carriersa                                  
Jet fuel 264 525 1,061 1,020 1,150 1,366 1,678 1,553 1,588 1,614 1,684 1,730 1,780 1844 1,873 1,944 2,004
General aviationb                                  
Aviation gasoline 29 35 66 50 63 51 42 43 38 32 32 35 35 35 37 42 40
Jet fuel N 8 28 61 103 93 90 78 67 61 63 76 82 87 110 131 135
Highway                                  
Gasoline, diesel and other fuels                                  
Passenger car and motorcycle 5,146 6,215 8,485 9,282 8,773 8,963 8,720 8,063 8,203 8,406 8,510 8,534 8,677 8,762 R8,988 9,187 9,141
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle N e 1,539 2,385 2,975 3,420 4,451 4,777 5,116 5,356 5,514 5,701 5,919 6,173 R6,308 6,607 6,604
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck N 1,921 550 752 960 1,026 1,159 1,133 1,142 1,177 1,253 1,278 1,305 1,328 R946 1,300 1,324
Combination truck N 923 1,019 1,273 1,808 1,942 2,238 2,331 2,388 2,462 2,587 2,743 2,801 2,816 R3,489 3,403 3,557
Bus 115 121 114 146 141 116 124 120 122 129 134 134 137 142 R144 159 154
Transitc                                  
Electricity 10 9 9 9 8 14 17 17 16 17 17 17 17 17 R17 P18 U
Motor fuel                                  
Diesel 29 34 38 51 60 84 90 92 95 94 94 94 96 99 R103 P106 U
Gasoline and other nondiesel fuelsd 24 16 9 1 1 6 4 4 5 6 8 8 8 7 R7 P6 U
Compressed natural gas N N N N N N N N <1 <1 1 1 2 3 R5 P6 U
Rail, Class I (in freight service)                                  
Distillate/diesel fuel 480 498 492 507 541 431 432 403 417 428 462 483 496 496 497 515 513
Amtrak                                  
Electricity N N N 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 U
Distillate/diesel fuel N N N 9 9 9 11 11 11 12 10 9 10 10 10 10 U
Water                                  
Residual fuel oil 592 463 565 608 1,340 687 947 1,014 R983 791 806 881 853 750 841 874 960
Distillate/diesel fuel oil 109 90 114 152 205 236 286 284 308 299 304 324 R345 357 360 336 314
Gasoline N N 75 91 132 132 163 214 165 109 R109 133 124 123 120 137 141
Pipeline                                  
Natural gas 358 516 745 601 654 519 680 620 606 644 707 722 734 775 655 665 664

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit; kWh = kilowatt-hour; N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised; U = unavailable.

a Domestic operations only.

b Includes fuel used in air taxi operations, but not commuter operations.

c Prior to 1984, excludes commuter rail, automated guideway, ferryboat, demand responsive vehicles, and most rural and smaller systems.

d Gasoline and all other nondiesel fuels such as liquified natural gas, methanol, and propane, except compressed natural gas.

e Included in other single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck category.

NOTES: The following conversion rates were used:

Jet fuel = 135,000 Btu/gal.

Compressed natural gas = 138,700 Btu/gal.

Aviation gasoline = 120,200 Btu/gal.

Distillate fuel = 138,700 Btu/gal.

Automotive gasoline = 125,000 Btu/gal.

Residual fuel = 149,700 Btu/gal.

Diesel motor fuel = 138,700 Btu/gal.

Natural gas = 1,031 Btu/ft3

Electricity 1kWh = 3,412 Btu, negating electrical system losses. To include approximate electrical system losses, multiply this conversion factor by 3.

SOURCES:

Air:

Certificated air carriers:

1960-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information Internet site http://www.bts.gov/oai/fuel/fuelyearly.html as of Sept. 13, 2001.

General aviation:

1960-80: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Policy, Plans, and Management Analysis, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

1985-93: Ibid., General Aviation and Avionics Survey (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table 5.1 and similar tables in earlier editions.

1994: Ibid., FAA Aerospace Forecasts Fiscal Years 2000-2011 (Washington, DC: March 2000), table 29.

1995-2000: lbid., FAA Aerospace Forecasts Fiscal Years 2002-2013 (Washington, DC: March 2002), table 30.

Highway:

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 (revised data obtained from internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm as of Aug. 2, 2001).

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.

Transit:

Electricity/motor fuel/compressed natural gas:

1960-99: American Public Transit Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: March 2001), tables 65, 66, 67, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Rail:

1960-99: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: October 2000), p. 40.

2000: Ibid., Railroad Facts, (Draft),personal communication.

Amtrak:

1975-99: Amtrak, State and Local Affairs Department, personal communication.

Water:

Residual and distillate/diesel fuel oil:

1960-80: American Petroleum Institute, Basic Petroleum Data Book (Washington, DC:Annual issues), tables 10, 10a, 12, and 12a.

1985-2000: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales (Washington, DC: Annual issues), tables 2 and 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Gasoline:

1970-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table MF-24 and similar tables in earlier editions.

Pipeline:

1960-98: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 1999, DOE/EIA-0131(99) (Washington, DC: October 2000), table 94.

1999-2000: Ibid., Natural Gas Annual 2000, DOE/EIA-0131(00) (Washington DC: November 2001), table 95.