Motorcoaches, by far, are the greenest way to travel

A motorcoach averages 280.1 passenger miles per gallon of fuel, traveling two to ten times more efficiently than most other forms of passenger transportation.

“Motorcoaches on average use the least amount of energy and produce the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile of any of the transportation modes analyzed,” according to research from the American Bus Association (ABA) Foundation.

The passenger mileage delivered by motorcoaches exceeded that of transit buses by eight times and a two-passenger car or domestic air travel by more than five times. Motorcoaches carry passengers twice as efficiently as van pools and light rail.

The closest competitor for motorcoach transportation is heavy rail, found to average 190.8 passenger miles per gallon. The comparisons were based on the energy equivalent of diesel fuel.

“Travelers today are more environmentally conscious in where they travel and how they travel,” said ABA President Peter Pantuso. “We are seeing more people taking to motorcoach travel when they travel domestically not only because of its convenience, but also because they know it is the greenest way to travel.”

Mode                           Average passenger MPG

Motorcoach               280.1

Heavy rail                  190.8

Light rail                    110.2

Van pool                    107.1

Trolley bus                 99.9

Commuter rail           97.0

Amtrak                        89.8

Car (two people)        57.8

Domestic air              56.6

Transit bus                 33.7

Ferry boat                  11.9

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