Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 16

Thread: Transportation: Most and Least Efficient

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    San Fernando Valley, Calif.
    Posts
    6,794

    Transportation: Most and Least Efficient

    I mentioned a year or so back reading that a bicycle is the most efficient means of transportation.

    I found the list I got the info from. From Nov. 25, 1981. I don't remember where I got it from. It may have been from one of those papers... National Enquirer or Globe.

    Anyway, here is the list, from least to most efficient...

    Helicopter
    Large car
    Train (regular)
    Airplane
    Train (electric)
    Bus
    Small car
    2-level bus
    Broad-gauge train
    Electric bicycle
    Bicycle
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    nr Edinburgh, Whisky-soaked Scotland
    Posts
    27,775
    This was a 2010 table ...
    Quote Originally Posted by http://truecostblog.com/2010/05/27/fuel-efficiency-modes-of-transportation-ranked-by-mpg/
    List of Transportation Modes By Person-Miles Per Gallon (PMPG)

    Transport Average PMPG
    Bicycle 984
    Walking 700
    Freight Ship 340
    Running 315
    Freight Train 190.5
    Plugin Hybrid 110.6
    Motorcycle 71.8
    Passenger Train 71.6
    Airplane 42.6
    Bus 38.3
    Car 35.7
    18-Wheeler (Truck) 32.2
    Light Truck, SUV, Minivan 31.4
    Table is the other way round and they use average occupancy to detemrine the PMPGs
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    San Fernando Valley, Calif.
    Posts
    6,794
    Thanks for posting that list, Matra.

    I was wondering why walking was not in the list I posted, since it does "transport" people.

    And motorcycle. No motorcycle on the list I provided for some reason.
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    nr Edinburgh, Whisky-soaked Scotland
    Posts
    27,775
    :cough: Did you get the list from an American source Fleet ?
    You KNOW nobody walks and only gang members ride hogs
    Had helicopters too and so most likely it was "transport for the rich" !!!
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    San Fernando Valley, Calif.
    Posts
    6,794
    What about a horse? A horse (and a horse-drawn stagecoach) is a form of transportation, too.
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    nr Edinburgh, Whisky-soaked Scotland
    Posts
    27,775
    Not a very realistic one now that pasture, straw, stables and blacksmiths aren't in every village Would be interesting tho !!
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    East Coast of the United States
    Posts
    11,994
    Quote Originally Posted by Fleet 500 View Post
    What about a horse? A horse (and a horse-drawn stagecoach) is a form of transportation, too.
    Emissions may be a problem!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    6,534
    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    Emissions may be a problem!
    There's a tarp for that.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    East Coast of the United States
    Posts
    11,994
    Quote Originally Posted by pimento View Post
    There's a tarp for that.
    No, I'm talking about CO2 emissions!

    Cows have severe CO2 and methane production, I would assume that horses would have similar problems.

    Also, what's the difference between a wide gauge train and a simple train?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    nr Edinburgh, Whisky-soaked Scotland
    Posts
    27,775
    Wide gauge trains are usually double deck and larger locomotive units which means more carriages/people.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    San Fernando Valley, Calif.
    Posts
    6,794
    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine View Post
    Wide gauge trains are usually double deck and larger locomotive units which means more carriages/people.
    I was wondering what that meant!
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Californian by nature, living in Teggsas.
    Posts
    4,130
    I read something similar to this a couple of years ago. It was written by a self-professed advocate of public transit - and an urban planning armchair quarterback. He did a decent analysis of the energy inputs for various forms of transit. Similar to P-MPG, it was measured in P-BTU's per mile and found that public transit wasn't as efficient as he thought it would be. Naturally, ridership in the US isn't what it could be, so as ridership goes up, so too would the P-BTU metric.
    An it harm none, do as ye will

    Approximately 79% of statistics are made up.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    nr Edinburgh, Whisky-soaked Scotland
    Posts
    27,775
    yep any form of public transport only wins if the occupancy is sufficient.
    When you get to a bus/train only having one person, you're better taking the car
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    53
    I have a car, but I love riding a bicycle a lot.

  15. #15
    Absolutely bicycle is an advantage helps in fighting pollution but when your in a rush a car is more suitable.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •