OTTAWA - Energy Efficiency:
Fuel Consumption per Hour and km
Revenue Service Hours per Litre
Vehicle km per Litre
1982
|
1987
|
1992
|
1997
|
2002
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Revenue Hours per Litre
|
0.079
|
0.065
|
0.054
|
0.050
|
0.048
|
Revenue Hours per U.S.-gallon
|
0.298
|
0.248
|
0.203
|
0.189
|
0.181
|
Index (1982 = 100)
|
100
|
83
|
68
|
64
|
61
|
Litres per Revenue Hour
|
12.7
|
15.3
|
18.7
|
20.0
|
20.9
|
U.S.-gallons per Revenue Hour
|
3.4
|
4.0
|
4.9
|
5.3
|
5.5
|
Bus km per Litre
|
1.93
|
1.84
|
1.61
|
1.57
|
1.52
|
Bus mi per U.S.-gallon
|
4.53
|
4.32
|
3.78
|
3.68
|
3.57
|
Index (1982 = 100)
|
100
|
95
|
83
|
81
|
79
|
Standard Equivalent km per Litre
|
1.91
|
1.95
|
1.76
|
1.68
|
1.65
|
Standard Equivalent mi per U.S.-gallon
|
4.49
|
4.58
|
4.13
|
3.94
|
3.87
|
Index (1982 = 100)
|
100
|
102
|
92
|
88
|
86
|
Revenue km per Litre
|
1.60
|
1.51
|
1.34
|
1.26
|
1.23
|
Revenue mi per U.S.-gallon
|
3.75
|
3.54
|
3.14
|
2.96
|
2.89
|
Index (1982 = 100)
|
100
|
94
|
84
|
79
|
77
|
Labor accounts for the major share of transit bus operating cost per revenue service hour. However, the sharp increase in OC Transpo fuel consumption per RSH, associated with transitway development, had an obvious upward influence on unit operating costs. This trend was slowed during 1992-2002 but not reversed. At 2002, OC Transpo’s fuel economy in terms of revenue km / L had fallen nearly 40 percent below 2.0 revenue km/L (4.0 mi per U.S.-gallon), a figure used typically for planning purposes.
Fuel Consumption per Passenger-km
Passenger-km per Litre
1982
|
1987
|
1992
|
1997
|
2002
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rider km per Litre
|
28.5
|
30.3
|
24.8
|
24.3
|
24.9
|
Rider mi per U.S.-gallon
|
66.9
|
71.1
|
58.2
|
57.0
|
58.4
|
Index (1982 = 100)
|
100
|
106
|
87
|
85
|
87
|
Fuel efficiency in terms of pass-km/L increased to 1987 despite declining ridership, reflecting OC Transpo’s success at improving service effectiveness. The undertaking was not able to avoid a long-term decline in “consumption-side” fuel economy, but the trend from 1992 to 2002 was static.
Trends - Fuel (Energy) Efficiency and Economy
(1982 = 100)
The authors believe the trends illustrated above reflect (in order of significance) increases in non-revenue (“deadhead” km), increased energy consumption as the result of higher “cruise speed” between stops (Sims and Miller 1982), and increased use of articulated buses.