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The Urban Transportation Emissions Calculator has been developed as a simple,
user-friendly tool for estimating annual greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria air contaminant
(CAC) emissions from passenger, commercial, and urban transit vehicles. The primary
input to the Tool is vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) for road vehicles and passenger
kilometres travelled (PKT) for rail vehicles. Other inputs relating to average travel
speeds, expansion factors, and vehicle fuelling characteristics can be modified
from default values.
The Tool estimates GHG and CAC emissions for the following vehicles:
- Light-duty passenger vehicles (automobiles, light trucks)
- Light-duty commercial vehicles
- Heavy-duty commercial vehicles
- Public transit buses
- Public transit trolley buses
- Light rail/Metro (electric and diesel)
- Heavy rail (diesel)
The Tool calculates both the direct and indirect GHG emissions associated with
the operation of vehicles. Direct GHG emissions are released directly from the tailpipe
of a vehicle. Indirect GHG emissions are created and released from production of
electricity used by electric vehicles (i.e. trolleys and light rail) as well as
from the production, refining and transportation of transportation fuels (i.e. from
wells to pump). It is important to note that the Tool does not address life-cycle
emissions associated with the manufacture and end of life recycling of vehicles.
Due to the unavailability of appropriate emission factors, only direct CAC emissions
are estimated.
The Tool also considers the impacts of new technologies and alternative fuels
on GHG and CAC emissions based on existing technologies and available data. The
vehicle-technology combinations considered for road-vehicles are displayed in the
table below.
Exhibit 1 1: Vehicle-Technology Combinations Considered
| Technology |
Vehicle |
| LDPV |
LDCV |
HDCV |
Transit Bus |
| Gasoline |
■ |
■ |
■ |
■ |
| Diesel |
■ |
■ |
■ |
■ |
| Propane |
■ |
■ |
■ |
■ |
| Natural Gas |
■ CNG |
■ CNG |
■ LNG |
■ LNG |
| Ethanol (E10) |
■ |
■ |
|
|
| Ethanol (E85) |
■ |
■ |
|
|
| Methanol (M85) |
■ |
■ |
|
|
| Hybrid |
■ |
■ |
|
■ |
| Electric-Battery |
■ |
■ |
|
|
| Electric-Fuel Cell |
■ |
■ |
|
■ |
| Note: See Glossary
for definition of all acronyms |
The Tool also requires the user to select the province of the municipality of
interest and the study year. This allows the Tool to account for the varied provincial
breakdowns of light-duty passenger vehicles (i.e., proportion of automobiles vs.
light trucks) as well as the differing GHG intensities associated with electricity
production in each province. It also allows the selection of a modelling year in
five year increments from 2006 through 2031 (to correspond with Census years), as
vehicle fuel efficiencies and other emission factors are predicted to improve in
the future.
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