DIRECT AND INDIRECT ENERGY REQUIREMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES

Variations in automobile fuel use as a function of trip length and of driving conditions (urban and inter-city) are calculated for three hypothetical automobiles: subcompact, "average," and full-size. In addition to direct (propulsion) energy use, total energy requirements for these three cars, operated under both urban and inter-city driving conditions, are calculated. Fuel use declines markedly with increasing trip length, because the adverse impacts of cold-start are spread over more miles. Fuel use is considerably higher for urban driving than for inter-city driving, because of frequent stop-and-go cycles and cold-start operations (due to shorter trip lengths for urban driving). Subcompacts use much less fuel than do full-size cars, particularly in urban areas. Total energy requirements for autos exceed direct gasoline consumption by about 70 percent. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Listed in "Energy REsearch and Technology', NSF 75-6, May, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  P. O. Box 2008
  Oak Ridge, TN  United States  37831
• Authors:
  • HIRST, E
• Publication Date: 1974-2

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 38 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Compact automobiles; Driving; Energy; Fuel consumption; Intercity travel; Trip length
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driving conditions
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00097098
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ORNL-NSF-EP-64
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1975 12:00AM