The most widely used means of transportation in Sweden have been compared as regards energy use for propulsion, manufacturing and maintenance of materials and for construction and maintenance of infrastructure. The analysis applies to the 70's and includes conversion losses. The results do not unequivocally show which means of transport that uses energy most efficiently. Generally, efficiency increases in line with capacity utilization. More interesting is that efficiency shows a clear relation to transport capacity (air transports excluded), thereby providing economies of scale - assuming equal load factors. After including energy for material and infrastructure in the analysis, the efficiency-ranking of various means of transportation is unaltered. These two factors consume between 5% (air transport) and 35% (railroads) of total energy use for that means of transportation. Substantially higher numbers - even exceeding 50% - are noted where roads and railroads are sparsely used. A wide range of variations is noted for passenger traffic in urban areas both within and between various means of transportation. During rush hours economies of scale are gained through high capacity utilization, whereas low capacity per trip provides the best results in non-rush hours. For hauling of goods in urban areas there is no realistic alternative to trucks, but efficiency is low due to the character of activity. In general, the study shows that energy efficiency varies greatly in relation to varying circumstances. Consequently, the best mix of transport systems should be sought, rather than the one most efficient.


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    Title :

    Energy Efficiency in Passenger and Goods Traffic in Sweden - A Comparative Analysis (Energieffektiviteten foer Person- och Godstransporter i Sverige - En Jaemfoerande Analys)


    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    70 pages



    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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