As Americans prepare for peak summer travel, a new report from the American Bus Association Foundation highlights motorcoach travel as the most sustainable and energy-efficient mode of passenger transportation across North America.
Commissioned by the ABA Foundation in partnership with Oxford Economics, the Motorcoach 2025 Sustainability and Innovation Report evaluates the environmental impact of motorcoach travel compared to other transportation modes. Findings confirm that motorcoaches produce the least carbon dioxide emissions per passenger-mile, outperforming air travel, rail, ferry, transit buses, and personal vehicles.
“This report recognizes what our industry has long known: motorcoaches are the most energy-efficient, lowest-emission mode of passenger transportation available today,” says Fred Ferguson, president and CEO of the American Bus Association. “In 2023 alone, motorcoach travel helped the U.S. avoid an estimated $2.7 billion in social costs tied to emissions.”
The report attributes these savings to industry-wide innovations, including clean idle engine technology, sustainable manufacturing practices, and increased use of eco-friendly materials. Ferguson says the results are proof that “clean, connected travel is not only possible—it’s already here.”
Key Findings
- Top efficiency: Motorcoaches are the most energy-efficient form of passenger travel per mile.
- Lowest carbon dioxide emissions: They emit less carbon per passenger-mile than any other travel mode.
- Environmental savings: In 2023, nearly 38 billion passenger-miles traveled by motorcoach prevented an estimated $2.7 billion in environmental and health-related costs.
- Clean idle technology: New motorcoaches reduce idle nitrogen oxide emissions to nearly half the regulatory limit.
- Best overall environmental performance: Motorcoaches outperformed all other transportation methods across major pollutant categories.
Industry Commitment
The report also examines sustainability efforts by motorcoach manufacturers and operators. Among manufacturers:
- 62% include recycling in strategic plans.
- 54% have carbon emissions targets and track environmental key performance indicators.
- 31% integrate renewable energy into operations.
On the operations side:
- 71% prioritize fleet renewal and maintenance to lower emissions.
- 65% have formal sustainability plans.
- 60% enforce anti-idling policies.
- 54% provide eco-conscious driver training.
“Motorcoach operators are proving they are key players in the climate solution,” Ferguson says. “By encouraging group travel, they not only reduce emissions but also help ease congestion in high-traffic destinations.”
The study is based on surveys conducted among North American motorcoach manufacturers and operators, capturing industry-wide practices around sustainability, innovation, and environmental performance.
The full report is available through the American Bus Association Foundation, which promotes education and research in the travel and tourism industry. Since its inception in 1995, the ABA Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships and continues to lead studies supporting sustainable travel.
For more information, visit www.buses.org/aba-foundation.
