Alternative Fuels Account for One-Third of Transit Bus Fuel Use
December 28, 2015
In 1994, 97% of fuel used in transit buses in the United States was petroleum-based diesel and gasoline, but by 2013 that number declined to 67%. The use of natural gas, including compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and propane, increased substantially during this time period. Twenty-three percent of transit bus fuel use was natural gas in 2013. Beginning in the mid-2000’s biodiesel, a diesel fuel based on vegetable oil or animal fat was also used in transit buses. Biodiesel is typically blended with petroleum-based diesel to create a blend such as B5 or B20. By 2013 about 9% of transit bus fuel use was biodiesel.
Transit Bus Fuel Use by Fuel Type, 1994–2013
Notes
- The biodiesel category includes an unknown amount of petroleum-based diesel, as each transit agency may use different blends of fuel and report it as biodiesel.
- Other fuels include bio/soy fuel, biodiesel (through 2006), hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, and various blends.
Source
American Public Transportation Association, 2015 Public Transportation Fact Book, Washington, DC, 2015, Table 59. Original units (gallons and kilowatt-hours) were converted to Btu using the appropriate energy content.