Types Of Transportation

Energy Use By type of Vehicle

Transportation is all about how you get from one place to another.  There are many different forms available to us, and the decisions you make to get around can have a big impact on the energy that you use.  By becoming more aware of your transportation habits and the energy consumed, you can learn how to make the best choices for your own needs.

America is a Nation on the move. About 27% of the energy we use goes to transporting people and goods from one place to another.  In 2008, there were 250 million vehicles (cars, buses, and trucks) in the United States — more than three motor vehicles for every four people.

Automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, and buses traveled just over 3.0 trillion miles in the United States in 2008. That’s almost one-twelfth the distance to the nearest star beyond the solar system. It’s like driving to the sun and back 13,440 times.

Automobiles are the most common mode of transportation in the United States. Personal vehicles (like cars and light trucks) consume 60% of the total energy used for transportation, while commercial vehicles (like large trucks and construction vehicles), mass transit (like airplanes, trains, and buses), and pipelines account for the rest.

The most popular fuels for ground transportation are Gasoline and Diesel.  Gasoline is used mainly by cars, motorcycles, and light trucks; diesel fuel is used mainly by heavier trucks, buses, and trains. Together, gasoline and diesel, and the biofuels ethanol and biodiesel that are added to gasoline and diesel, made up 81% of all the energy used for transportation in the U.S. in 2009.

QUESTION SET 4: TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION

  1. ___________ vehicle types use the most amount of fuel in our country.
    1. Car and Motorcycle
    2. Light Truck
    3. Aircraft
    4. Boat and Ship
  2. In the US, Personal vehicles (like cars and light trucks) consume ____ percent of the total energy used for transportation.
    1. 20
    2. 40
    3. 60
    4. 80
  3. All together, we drive our cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses about 3 _______ miles per year.
    1. Hundred Thousand
    2. Million
    3. Billion
    4. Trillion
  4. The most popular fuels for ground transportation are _________ and __________.
    1. Gas and Diesel
    2. Ethanol and Gas
    3. Diesel and Biofuel
    4. Ethanol and Diesel
  5. In 2008, there were _____ million vehicles (cars, buses, and trucks) in the United States — more than three motor vehicles for every four people.
    1. 100
    2. 250
    3. 300
    4. 500
  6. True or False: About 27% of the energy used in the US goes to power our vehicles.
    1. True
    2. False