Energy Use Data Handbook, 1990 and 1998 to 2004

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Chapter 5 – Transportation Sector

The Data Situation

The aggregate data on transportation energy use by energy source are from Statistics Canada's Report on Energy Supply-Demand in Canada (RESD) (Cat. No. 57-003-XIB). Other sources with more specific data enable the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) to allocate energy use by transportation mode. Using the stock, fuel efficiencies and average distance travelled, the Transportation End-Use Model (TEUM) calculates preliminary estimates for road energy use by vehicle type. Then, using origin and destination shipment data from Statistics Canada's Trucking in Canada (Cat. No. 53-222-XIE), TEUM takes into account the fact that heavy truck vehicles do not necessarily travel in the province where they are registered and that fuel for them is not necessarily purchased in that province. Final road energy use estimates are calibrated to match RESD road information.

Aggregate non-road energy use data (rail, air and marine) are obtained directly from RESD. Rail and air are further disaggregated into passenger and freight transportation on the basis of data from Statistics Canada's Rail in Canada (Cat. No. 52-216-XIE) and Canadian Civil Aviation (Cat. No. 51-206-XIB). The Climate Change Air Sub-Group Report by Sypher: Mueller International Inc., July 1999, is also used in the allocation of air energy use to passenger and freight modes.

Data for vehicle stock in TEUM were obtained from R. L. Polk Canada Inc., R. L. Polk & Co. and DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. Specifically, they were extracted from two databases: Canadian Vehicles in Operation Census (CVIOC) and Trucking Industry Profile (TIP). Statistics Canada's Road Motor Vehicles, Registrations (Cat. No. 53-219-XIB), its Canadian Vehicle Survey (CVS) (Cat. No. 53-223-XIE) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 24, are used to backcast car and truck stocks for years in which CVIOC and/or TIP were not available. This year, revisions to the historical truck stock prior to 1994 resulted in changes to the allocation of energy use between passenger and freight sub-sector road transportation, average distance estimates and related passenger- and tonne-kilometres estimates. In addition, because past attempts to address inconsistencies in CVIOC (1989– 2004) and TIP (1994– 2002) data with various data smoothing techniques have not improved the quality of the output, these data manipulations were removed. The bus information is further disaggregated by bus type on the basis of Statistics Canada's Passenger Bus and Urban Transit Statistics (PBS) (Cat. No. 53-215-XIB).

Car and truck sales are derived from new vehicle registrations from R. L. Polk Canada Inc. (light-duty vehicles), R. L. Polk & Co. (trucks over 3855 kg) and Statistics Canada's New Motor Vehicle Sales (Cat. No. 63-007XIB). The light-truck sales were revised and differ from last year's report.

Laboratory-tested fuel efficiencies for new cars and light trucks are calculated from data in Transport Canada's Vehicle Fuel Economy Information System. However, no national data sources are available for on-road efficiencies. The OEE, through the National Energy Use Database, has been working with Transport Canada and Statistics Canada to address this issue. The collection of on-road fuel consumption data through CVS for all vehicle types except buses started on January 1, 2004. Survey results are expected in the 2006 calendar year. On-road fuel efficiency for buses is based on PBS.

The National Private Vehicle Use Survey –October 1994 to September 1996 (conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of Natural Resources Canada) and CVS provided average distances travelled for cars and trucks. With a view to achieving greater consistency with the survey data collected since 1995, heavy truck average distance travelled was revised prior to 1994. Motorcycle estimates were calculated on the basis of information from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Occupancy rates are essential for calculating the passenger-kilometres travelled for cars and light trucks. Since 1999, occupancy rates have been obtained from CVS data. Observed trends in Transport Canada's seatbelt survey (1992– 2002), total population and vehicle stock were used to backcast this series from 1998 to 1976. Motorcycle occupancy rates are based on U.S. Department of Transportation data. Finally, bus occupancy rates are taken from CVS and PBS. Non-road passenger-kilometres are taken from Rail in Canada and Canadian Civil Aviation for rail and air, respectively.

Light truck and medium truck tonne-kilometres are calculated using a TEUM assumption on load factor, heavy truck tonne-kilometres are from Trucking in Canada, and non-road tonne-kilometres are taken from Canadian Civil Aviation, Rail in Canada and Transport Canada's Surface and Maritime Statistics Division for air, rail and marine, respectively.

Transportation energy prices are weighted averages of regional prices from Statistics Canada's Energy Statistics Handbook (Cat. No. 57-601-XIE). Other transportation indicators are from Informetrica Limited's TI Model and Database.

View handbook tables.

• Transportation Secondary Energy Use by Energy Source and Transportation Mode
• Transportation GHG Emissions by Energy Source and Transportation Mode
• Transportation Energy Prices and Background Indicators

Passenger Transportation Segment

• Passenger Transportation Secondary Energy Use by Energy Source and Transportation Mode
• Passenger Transportation GHG Emissions by Energy Source and Transportation Mode
• Passenger Road Transportation Secondary Energy Use and GHG Emissions by Energy Source
• Passenger Transportation Explanatory Variables

Freight Transportation Segment

• Freight Transportation Secondary Energy Use by Energy Source and Transportation Mode
• Freight Transportation GHG Emissions by Energy Source and Transportation Mode
• Freight Road Transportation Secondary Energy Use and GHG Emissions by Energy Source
• Freight Transportation Explanatory Variables

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