Energy Use in the Transportation Sector
Key highlights
- Energy efficiency improved 36%, saving Canadians 642.8 PJ of energy and $17.9 billion in energy costs in 2015.
- Energy use increased 40%, from 1,877.9 PJ to 2,637.5 PJ.
- Energy efficiency improved 30%, saving 333.2 PJ, or $8.3 billion in energy costs in 2015.
- Energy use increased by 19%. It would have increased 47% without energy efficiency improvements.
- Energy efficiency improved 46%, saving 309.6 PJ, or $9.7 billion in energy costs in 2015.
- Energy use increased by 72%. It would have increased 118% without energy efficiency improvements.
Passenger transportation
Freight transportation
Transportation energy efficiency
Overview - Energy use
The sector is diverse and covers several modes of transportation including road, air, rail and marine. In Canada, these modes of transportation are used for transporting both people and goods.
In 2015, Canadian individuals and businesses spent $73.6 billion on fuel for transportation, which was more than double that of the industrial sector. This was due to the much higher cost of fuels compared to those in the other sectors.
Passenger transportation accounted for 52% of total energy consumption, while the freight transportation subsector accounted for 44%. The remaining 4% was used by off-road vehicles1.
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Distribution of energy use by subsector, 2015
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Passenger transportation | 51.9 |
| Freight transportation | 43.8 |
| Off-road transportation | 4.3 |
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Distribution of energy use by mode, 2015
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Road passenger | 41.7 |
| Road freight | 37.6 |
| Air | 10.3 |
| Rail | 3.6 |
| Marine | 2.4 |
| Off-road | 4.3 |
Transportation energy use
Between 1990 and 2015, total energy use for the transportation sector increased 40%, from 1,877.9 PJ to 2,637.5 PJ, and associated GHG emissions increased 38%, from 132.3 Mt to 182.3 Mt.
Among the subsectors, freight transportation experienced more rapid growth, representing 64% of the increase in energy consumption. Furthermore, the growing preference to use commercial trucks, which typically consume more energy than other modes of transportation, in itself accounts for 98% of the increase in energy consumption of freight transportation and 53% of all transportation.
From 1990 to 2015, diesel consumption increased 76%, primarily because of the increasing use of medium and heavy-duty vehicles on Canadian roads, which contributed to 94% of this increase. Moreover, motor gasoline consumption, including ethanol, increased 32%, with freight transportation vehicles and passenger vehicles accounting for almost half and more than a third of that figure, respectively.
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Transportation energy use by energy source, selected years (petajoules)
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor gasoline | 1120 | 1283 | 1375 | 1484 |
| Diesel fuel oil | 470 | 660 | 745 | 828 |
| Aviation fuels* | 187 | 240 | 257 | 272 |
| Other** | 100 | 83 | 100 | 53 |
** “Other” includes electricity, natural gas, heavy fuel oil, and propane.
Toward the end of the 1970s, the Canadian government proposed voluntary targets to the vehicle industry in Canada. Between 1978 and 1985, standards for cars went from 13.1 L/100 km to 8.6 L/100km and did not change between 1985 and 2008. Targets for light trucks were introduced in 1990 and were strengthened slightly, going from 11.8 L/100 km to 10.0 L/100 km in 2010. In October 2010, Environment Canada published in the Canada Gazette the regulation entitled: Passenger Automobile and Light Truck Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulation. The goal of the regulation was to reduce CO2 emissions by 12% to 19%, depending on the light vehicle category, by 2016.
In addition, in recent years, initiatives and regulations designed to encourage technological progress have been introduced for all other transportation modes in order to increase energy efficiency and improve the performance of the transportation modes.
Energy efficiency improvements in the transportation sector resulted in savings of $17.9 billion in energy costs for Canada in 2015.
Between 1990 and 2015, energy efficiency in the transportation sector improved by 36%, which resulted in energy savings of 642.8 PJ in 2015. These savings were due to energy efficiency improvements in passenger transportation (333.2 PJ) and in freight transportation (309.6 PJ).
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Transportation energy use, with and without energy efficiency improvements, 1990–2015
| Energy use without energy efficiency improvements | Energy use with energy efficiency improvements | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1785.3 | 1785.3 |
| 1991 | 1736.9 | 1717.6 |
| 1992 | 1797.3 | 1761.5 |
| 1993 | 1860.3 | 1784.8 |
| 1994 | 1975.3 | 1879.2 |
| 1995 | 2056.3 | 1916.5 |
| 1996 | 2101.5 | 1958.5 |
| 1997 | 2213.6 | 2028.7 |
| 1998 | 2270.2 | 2085.8 |
| 1999 | 2340.8 | 2136.9 |
| 2000 | 2391.3 | 2157.4 |
| 2001 | 2396.4 | 2135.7 |
| 2002 | 2450.5 | 2161.2 |
| 2003 | 2532.7 | 2231.4 |
| 2004 | 2625.5 | 2310.5 |
| 2005 | 2676.5 | 2345.1 |
| 2006 | 2721.9 | 2325.8 |
| 2007 | 2797.9 | 2414.2 |
| 2008 | 2793.2 | 2403.2 |
| 2009 | 2750.8 | 2374.6 |
| 2010 | 2898.9 | 2479.4 |
| 2011 | 2932.3 | 2484.1 |
| 2012 | 2980.1 | 2509.2 |
| 2013 | 3059.6 | 2557.0 |
| 2014 | 3081.7 | 2514.5 |
| 2015 | 3145.5 | 2502.7 |
Passenger transportation energy use and GHG emissions
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Passenger transportation energy indicators
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total vehicles | 14.2 million | 22.3 million |
| Light trucks | 19.4% | 39.2% |
| Average per vehicle | 17,824 Km/year | 14,448 Km/year |
| Pkm covered | 388.1 billion | 526.0 billion |
| Vehicles per person aged 18 years and over | 0.68 | 0.77 |
Light-duty vehicles (small cars, large cars, light trucks and motorcycles) were the main mode of transportation used by Canadians for passenger transportation2. Air transport, rail transport and transportation by bus or coach were also used, though to a lesser extent.
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Distribution of energy use by mode of passenger transportation, 2015
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Cars | 38.8 |
| Light trucks | 37.1 |
| Motorcycles | 0.4 |
| Air | 19.5 |
| Rail | 0.2 |
| Buses and urban transit | 4.0 |
The distance covered in Pkm3 for light vehicles (excluding urban transportation and coaches) increased on average by 1.2% per year between 1990 and 2015. The distance covered in Pkm for urban transportation and coaches increased on average by 2.0% per year between 1990 and 2015. Consequently, the market share of public transit has increased over the past 25 years. Over this period, the energy consumption for passenger transportation increased by 19%, from 1,154.0 to 1,368.1 PJ, and the associated GHG emissions increased 14%, from 80.9 to 92.6 Mt.
The mix of fuels used in the subsector has remained relatively constant. Motor gasoline has been the main energy source, representing 75% of the combination of fuels used in 2015.
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Passenger transportation energy use by fuel type, 1990 and 2015 (petajoules)
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor gasoline | 902.4 | 1025.9 |
| Diesel fuel oil | 47.2 | 63.2 |
| Aviation fuels* | 180.9 | 266.7 |
| Other** | 23.5 | 12.3 |
** “Other” includes electricity, natural gas, heavy fuel oil, and propane.
A growing number of Canadians bought light trucks (including minivans and sport utility vehicles [SUV]) rather than vehicles that have better ranking in fuel consumption. In 2015, light-truck sales comprised 52% of new vehicles sold for passenger transportation, compared to 24% in 1990. This shift from cars to light trucks has resulted in a significant increase in passenger-transportation energy consumption. Between 1990 and 2015, energy consumption associated with the use of light trucks increased at a faster pace than that associated with any other mode of passenger transportation (136% increase).
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Passenger transportation energy use by mode, 1990 and 2015 (petajoules)
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rail | 3.8 | 2.1 |
| Air | 180.9 | 266.7 |
| Buses and urban transit | 46.0 | 55.3 |
| Motorcycles | 2.4 | 5.5 |
| Light trucks | 215.5 | 507.6 |
| Cars | 705.5 | 530.9 |
Since 1990, Canadians are increasingly using air transport4, translating into a significant increase of Pkm (164%). However, energy consumption only increased by 47%, which shows a growing improvement in efficiency.
Passenger transportation energy intensity and efficiency
Energy intensity
Between 1990 and 2015, energy intensity declined by 22%, from 2.3 MJ/Pkm to 1.8 MJ/Pkm. Improved vehicle fuel performance is the main reason for this reduction. The average fuel performance is measured by the quantity of litres consumed to cover a distance of 100 km (L/100 km).
All modes of transportation, with the exception of motorcycles, saw a reduction in energy intensity. Air showed the greatest improvement, followed by buses and urban transit.
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Passenger transportation energy intensity by mode, 1990 and 2015 (MJ/Pkm)
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rail | 2.11 | 1.57 |
| Air | 2.12 | 1.40 |
| Buses and urban transit | 1.29 | 0.95 |
| Motorcycles | 1.48 | 1.75 |
| Light trucks | 2.87 | 2.24 |
| Cars | 2.27 | 1.79 |
Energy efficiency
Isolating the effect of energy efficiency
Without energy efficiency gains, energy use would have increased 47% instead of 19%.
Various factors influenced change in energy use:
- activity effect - The activity effect (i.e., the number of Pkm travelled) increased energy use by 48%, or 536.3 PJ, with a corresponding 36.3-Mt increase in related GHG emissions. This increase in the number of Pkm (activity effect) is mainly attributable to a 202% increase in light truck activity and a 164% increase in air transportation activity.
- structure effect - Changes to the mix of transportation modes (or the relative share of Pkm attributed to air, rail and road transportation) are used to measure changes in structure. Thus, an overall change in structure would result in a decrease (or increase) in energy consumption if the relative share of a more (or less) effective mode increases in importance relative to the others. The relative share of Pkm travelled increased greatly for passenger air transportation and light trucks. The overall effect of the structure was positive, given the growing popularity of minivans and SUVs, which are more energy-intensive than other transportation modes. As a result, the analyses show a 29.9-PJ increase in energy use and a 2.0-Mt increase in related GHG emissions attributable to the structure effect.
- energy efficiency effect – The 30% improvement in energy efficiency saved 333.2 PJ of energy and 22.6 Mt of GHG emissions. The light vehicle segment (cars, light trucks and motorcycles) for passenger transportation accounted for 69% of those savings.
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Impact of activity, structure and energy efficiency on the change in passenger transportation energy use, 1990–2015
| Petajoules | |
|---|---|
| Total change in energy use | 214.1 |
| Activity effect | 536.3 |
| Structure effect | 29.9 |
| Energy efficiency effect | -333.2 |
| Other* | -19.0 |
In 2015, Canadian drivers saved $8.3 billion in energy costs due to a 30% energy efficiency improvement.
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Passenger transportation energy use, with and without energy efficiency improvements, 1990–2015
| Energy use without energy efficiency improvements | Energy use with energy efficiency improvements | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,114.7 | 1,114.7 |
| 1991 | 1,091.6 | 1,076.0 |
| 1992 | 1,138.8 | 1,097.8 |
| 1993 | 1,159.5 | 1,102.8 |
| 1994 | 1,194.1 | 1,127.1 |
| 1995 | 1,230.1 | 1,143.8 |
| 1996 | 1,247.5 | 1,164.1 |
| 1997 | 1,301.8 | 1,191.6 |
| 1998 | 1,326.5 | 1,218.2 |
| 1999 | 1,355.6 | 1,244.0 |
| 2000 | 1,376.6 | 1,247.6 |
| 2001 | 1,378.4 | 1,219.7 |
| 2002 | 1,414.1 | 1,262.1 |
| 2003 | 1,419.4 | 1,269.8 |
| 2004 | 1,453.1 | 1,290.2 |
| 2005 | 1,484.7 | 1,306.2 |
| 2006 | 1,490.7 | 1,282.9 |
| 2007 | 1,544.6 | 1,319.2 |
| 2008 | 1,542.7 | 1,290.6 |
| 2009 | 1,555.1 | 1,287.9 |
| 2010 | 1,600.7 | 1,313.4 |
| 2011 | 1,619.87 | 1,312.3 |
| 2012 | 1,632.4 | 1,336.3 |
| 2013 | 1,658.5 | 1,365.6 |
| 2014 | 1,644.6 | 1,330.3 |
| 2015 | 1681.0 | 1347.8 |
Freight transportation energy use and GHG emissions
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Freight transportation energy indicators
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total freight trucks | 1.9 million | 5.0 million |
| Heavy trucks | 297,000 | 464,000 |
| Average for heavy trucks | 51,886 Km/year | 86,664 Km/year |
| Tkm travelled | 134.6 billion | 355.0 billion |
| Litres of fuel used per truck | 6,600 | 5,150 |
In Canada, the freight transportation subsector includes four modes of transportation: road, air, marine and rail. Transportation by truck is divided into three types: light truck, medium truck and heavy truck. Energy consumption for freight transportation is linked to tonne kilometres (Tkm)5.
From 1990 to 2015, freight transportation energy use increased by 72%. Consequently, there was a 71% increase of associated GHG emissions, from 47.7 Mt in 1990 to 81.8 Mt in 2015.
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Freight transportation energy use by mode, 1990 and 2015 (petajoules)
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Marine | 107 | 65 |
| Rail | 86 | 92 |
| Air | 7 | 6 |
| Heavy trucks | 254 | 487 |
| Medium trucks | 121 | 305 |
| Light trucks | 98 | 200 |
The mix of fuels used in the freight transportation subsector remained relatively constant between 1990 and 2015. Diesel was the main energy source, representing 66% of all the fuels consumed for freight transportation.
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Freight transportation energy use by fuel type, 1990 and 2015 (petajoules)
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor gasoline | 165 | 344 |
| Diesel fuel oil | 423 | 765 |
| Heavy fuel oil | 60 | 35 |
| Other* | 23 | 12 |
Using transport vehicles as virtual warehouses requires a transportation system that is “in time” and very efficient. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of heavy trucks increased 56%, and the average distance travelled increased 67%, reaching 86,664 km per year. However, heavy trucks are not only travelling greater distances but also transporting more freight, involving the use of an increasing number of trailers. This new trend has contributed to the increase in the number of Tkm and energy use in the freight transportation subsector.
For many goods, such as coal and cereal, trucks are not an efficient mode of transportation. Rail and marine transport continue to be the modes of choice. They therefore have an important place in the freight transportation sector. Rail transport holds the first position in terms of Tkm of freight transported with 411.6 billion Tkm in 2015, 66% more than in 1990. In second position, heavy trucks transported 277.4 billion Tkm in 2015, which is 151% more than in 1990.
Freight transportation energy intensity and efficiency
Energy intensity
Since 1990, all the modes of freight transportation have become more efficient with respect to energy consumption, based on the number of Tkm. However, the sector’s energy intensity has increased by 2% over the period, from 1.17 MJ/Tkm to 1.19 MJ/Tkm travelled, due to the increased use of trucks, which are more energy-intensive than other types of freight transportation. The energy efficiency for rail and marine transport is much higher than that of trucks. In fact, these two modes of transport have high activity levels and relatively low energy consumption. For example, rail transportation is approximately eight times more efficient than heavy trucks.
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Freight transportation energy intensity by mode, 1990 and 2015
| 1990 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Marine | 0.56 | 0.32 |
| Rail | 0.35 | 0.22 |
| Air | 3.72 | 2.43 |
| Heavy trucks | 2.30 | 1.76 |
| Medium trucks | 8.85 | 6.20 |
| Light trucks | 9.28 | 7.05 |
Energy efficiency
Isolating the effect of energy efficiency
Without energy efficiency gains, energy use would have increased 118% instead of 72%.
Various factors influenced change in energy use:
- activity effect - The effect of activity (the number of Tkm travelled) translated into an increase in energy consumption of 69%, or 484.0 PJ, and in the associated GHG emissions of 34.3 Mt. This increase in the number of Tkm transported is mainly due to a 164% increase in the activity of trucks.
- structure effect - Changes to the mix of transportation modes (or the relative share of Tkm attributed to air, marine, rail and road transportation) are used to measure changes in structure. Thus, an overall change in structure would result in a decrease (or increase) in energy consumption if the relative share of a more (or less) effective mode increases in importance relative to the others. The change in modes is due to the increase in the relative share of goods transported by trucks compared to other modes. The overall effect of the structure was positive given the growth of Canada-US trade and the "just-in-time" delivery required by customers, thereby contributing to an increase in the use of road transportation modes, which are more energy-intensive than the others per Tkm. For example, the analyses show a 309.9-PJ increase in energy consumption and a 22.0-Mt increase in related GHG emissions attributable to the structure effect.
- energy efficiency effect – The 46% improvement in energy efficiency saved 309.6 PJ of energy and 21.9 Mt of GHG emissions. The road vehicle segment (light trucks, medium trucks and heavy trucks) for freight transportation accounted for 73% of those savings.
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Impact of activity, structure and energy efficiency on the change in freight transportation energy use, 1990–2015
| Petajoules | |
|---|---|
| Total change in energy use | 484.3 |
| Activity effect | 484.0 |
| Structure effect | 309.9 |
| Energy efficiency effect | -309.6 |
In 2015, improvements in energy efficiency for freight transportation generated energy savings of $9.7 billion.
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Freight transportation energy use, with and without energy efficiency improvements, 1990–2015
| Energy use without energy efficiency improvements | Energy use with energy efficiency improvements | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 670.5 | 670.5 |
| 1991 | 645.2 | 641.6 |
| 1992 | 658.5 | 663.8 |
| 1993 | 700.8 | 682.1 |
| 1994 | 781.2 | 752.1 |
| 1995 | 826.3 | 772.7 |
| 1996 | 854.0 | 794.3 |
| 1997 | 911.8 | 837.2 |
| 1998 | 943.6 | 867.6 |
| 1999 | 985.2 | 892.9 |
| 2000 | 1,014.7 | 909.8 |
| 2001 | 1,018.0 | 915.9 |
| 2002 | 1,036.4 | 899.0 |
| 2003 | 1,113.3 | 961.7 |
| 2004 | 1,172.4 | 1,020.3 |
| 2005 | 1,191.8 | 1,039.0 |
| 2006 | 1,231.2 | 1,042.9 |
| 2007 | 1,253.2 | 1,094.9 |
| 2008 | 1,250.4 | 1,112.7 |
| 2009 | 1,195.7 | 1,086.7 |
| 2010 | 1,298.2 | 1,165.9 |
| 2011 | 1,312.5 | 1,171.8 |
| 2012 | 1,347.7 | 1,172.9 |
| 2013 | 1,401.1 | 1,191.3 |
| 2014 | 1,437.1 | 1,184.2 |
| 2015 | 1,464.4 | 1,154.8 |
- This category includes all the machines whose main use is not on public roads, such as snowmobiles and lawn mowers.
- With regard to passenger transportation, energy consumption is related to passenger-kilometres (Pkm). When the Pkm number rises, an increase in energy consumption is normally observed, unless there have been improvements in energy efficiency to compensate for the activity increase.
- A Pkm is calculated by multiplying the number of passengers carried by the distance covered. Consequently, when two passengers are travelling in the same vehicle and are transported across a distance of 10 kilometres, it is the equivalent of 20 Pkm.
- Transport Canada, Growing Canada’s Economy: A New National Air Transportation Policy, Ottawa, 2015.
- A Tkm describes the transportation of one tonne of freight over a distance of one kilometre.
- Adoption of the just in time stocking scheme by many businesses has had a significant impact on the freight transportation subsector. Such a system generally requires less inventory storage space because the orders are delivered at the moment they are required for production.