Motorcoach Energy Use and Emissions
2023 updated findings and historical comparison
The American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) sponsored Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to evaluate the environmental performance of motorcoach operations.
Motorcoach Energy Use and Emissions: 2023 Updated Findings
Executive Summary
- About the Report: The research compares the energy use and pollutants emitted by motorcoaches to those of other transportation modes, using the latest available information and emission rates. This study serves as a continuation of the 2019 “Updated Comparison of Energy Use & Emissions from Different Transportation Modes” report.
- This report combines insights from two standalone studies into a comprehensive, updated research document. You can access the original reports here:
- Key Highlights:
- Motorcoaches outperform all other transportation modes modeled in terms of passenger-miles (pass-mi) per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE)1, energy use per pass-mi, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted per pass-mi.
- On average, motorcoaches achieved 195.3 pass-mi per DGE, compared to vanpool’s 97.4 (2nd best) and ferryboat’s 7.4 (2nd worst).
- Motorcoaches only emit 53 grams of CO2 per pass-mi compared to vanpool’s 106 and ferryboat’s 1,392.
- Motorcoach ranked 5th for pollutants emitted per 1,000 pass-mi for nitrogen oxides, 4th for particulate matter under 10 microns, and 4th for particulate matter under 2.5 microns.
Citation
- How to Cite This Report: How to Cite This Report: American Bus Association. (2025). Energy Use and Emissions: 2023 Updated Findings and Historical Comparison. Retrieved from https://www.buses.org/motorcoach-energy-use-and-emissions-2023-historical-comparison/.
- Report Author: American Bus Association.
- Sponsored by: American Bus Association Foundation.
- Contact information: For inquiries, email research@buses.org or call (202) 218-7227.
- Report Author: Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
- Sponsored by: American Bus Association Foundation.
- Contact information: For inquiries, email research@buses.org or call (202) 218-7227.
Methodology
- TTI calculated and compared the pollutants emitted per passenger mile for select transportation modes against those emitted from motorcoaches, and quality assured/quality controlled (QA/QC) the data used and calculated emissions against the 2019 report.
