how does a bus compare in efficiency to a car?

[dpopiz]

say you have a typical city bus, and an average size car (large sedan or small SUV)

how much more efficient would the bus be as far as miles per gallon per person. I'm just wondering cuz around here the buses often have like 4 people on them, so is that still a more fuel efficient mode of transportation?

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

 

[neutralizer]

What bus are you riding?

The buses around here are so packed... but then again I'm in college.

 

Depends on how many people are on the bus.

 

[intogamer]

The typical bus in Boston runs on natural gas

 

[Baked]

Only 4 people ride the bus? Is it the short bus? Are you one of the passengers?

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
say you have a typical city bus, and an average size car (large sedan or small SUV)

how much more efficient would the bus be as far as miles per gallon per person. I'm just wondering cuz around here the buses often have like 4 people on them, so is that still a more fuel efficient mode of transportation?

I don't know where you live, but bus has around a dozen or so here and the average car is a mazda3

 

[YetioDoom]

Originally posted by: Baked
Only 4 people ride the bus? Is it the short bus? Are you one of the passengers?

Score.

 

[everman]

Would this happen to be the short bus?

 

[suse920]

Originally posted by: intogamer
The typical bus in Boston runs on natural gas

nevar knew

 

[Colt45]

we've got a few of our city buses converted to biodiesel here

 

Originally posted by: YetioDoom

Originally posted by: Baked
Only 4 people ride the bus? Is it the short bus? Are you one of the passengers?

Score.

LMAO



The buses around here are packed and hybrid. Seattle area.

 

[Vic]

Poorly. The city buses in my area average 4 mpg, using mostly diesel.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Vic
Poorly. The city buses in my area average 4 mpg, using mostly diesel.

But they hold about 60 people. Even if they're only carrying 4 people like the OP said he sometimes sees, that's equivalent to everyone driving their own car and getting 16 mpg, which isn't all that bad. If the bus was packed with 60 people, that's equivalent to everyone driving their own car and getting 240 mpg.

 

[aplefka]

Our's use natural gas and I'd say they're used pretty well. I'm sure at any given time there is at least 6 people on board and during the summer probably 10.

 

[Mo0o]

During peak hours theres TONS of people on buses here in Seattle. Either students getting to the U district or business people going downtown and avoiding parking hassles

 

[sharkeeper]

The larger the better.

For example, a 70,000GT passenger ship making 44MW (about 700 cars) carrying over 3000 people. Service speed consumption is 94 gallons per nautical mile (1.15 car miles for you landlubbers). Most cars aren't carrying over 4 people. Heck most cars can't carry 4 people!

 

[dpopiz]

Originally posted by: Vic
Poorly. The city buses in my area average 4 mpg, using mostly diesel.

hm well that's not terrible, but it does mean you need about 6 passengers to equal the efficiency of the average car

 

[dpopiz]

well yeah they're packed around here during peak times too. But I'd estimate about 95% of the time is non-peak which means about 2-6 passengers per bus around here

 

Originally posted by: Vic
Poorly. The city buses in my area average 4 mpg, using mostly diesel.

Shens. Need some numbers to back that up.
Even fully loaded tractor trailers make 8mpg.

 

[Baked]

The diesel AND electric buses in SF carry from 100 to 200 people during rush hour. However, the fair will be raised again later this year. Grrrr

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Vic
Poorly. The city buses in my area average 4 mpg, using mostly diesel.

Shens. Need some numbers to back that up.
Even fully loaded tractor trailers make 8mpg.

Hummers get like 2-4MPG.

 

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Vic
Poorly. The city buses in my area average 4 mpg, using mostly diesel.

Shens. Need some numbers to back that up.
Even fully loaded tractor trailers make 8mpg.

Hummers get like 2-4MPG.

No, a few seconds of searching will make you understand that you're wrong.
Text

Most hummers and huge SUV's average 10-13mpg.

My uncle was a tractor trailer driver for 40 years. They get about 8mpg when fully loaded (140,000 lbs), and about 16mpg when carrying no load.

 

[aircooled]

hop in

 

[Shawn]

Is that the manufacture's MPG? Because my car is rated 10MPG over what it actually gets.