Environment & sustainability
Travelling Together. Moving Efficiently.
Travelling by coach means sharing the journey with many other passengers. Sharing a vehicle enables the efficient use of energy and available capacity and can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions per passenger-kilometre compared to individual car journeys.
Data from the Austrian Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt Österreich) illustrates the average difference:
- In 2024, coaches carried an average of 18.81 passengers, compared to 1.13 passengers per car.*
According to the Austrian Environment Agency, an average diesel coach generates approximately 34.6 grams of CO₂ equivalents per passenger-kilometre during operation, compared to 136.7 grams for the average passenger car.*
- This represents approximately 75% fewer direct greenhouse gas emissions per passenger-kilometre.
Emissions Comparison by Mode of Transport*
| mode of transport - Emissions based on average passenger occupancy and capacity utilisation (g/passenger-km) | CO₂-equivalent | CO₂ | NOx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach (D) | 34,6 | 33,2 | 0,10 |
| Public bus (D inkl. E) | 40,1 | 37,9 | 0,05 |
| Average passenger car (incl. BEV) | 136,7 | 135 | 0,34 |
| passenger car (D) | 149,3 | 146,8 | 0,54 |
Passenger-km = passenger-kilometre; CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) = the combined climate impact of different greenhouse gases; NOₓ = nitrogen oxides; BEV = battery electric vehicle. All figures represent direct emissions in grams per passenger-kilometre.
Source: Austrian Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt Österreich), Emission Factors, 2024 Data Basis, updated May 2026, “Emission Factors per Passenger-Kilometre”.
Austrian Environment Agency – Emission Factors by Mode of Transport
The figures shown refer to the direct emissions per passenger-kilometre reported in the source, taking into account average passenger occupancy and capacity utilisation rates. Emissions associated with fuel and electricity production, as well as vehicle manufacturing, are reported separately in the source and are not included in the figures presented here. The percentage difference was calculated from the published figures and rounded.