Seattle public transport operator to expand electric vanpool fleet
The soon-to-be acquired fleet will join almost two dozen electric vehicles already in service in the King County Metro vanpool fleet.
Regarding its vanpool fleet, King County Metro writes that: “Vanpooling is similar to carpooling. Commuters share the driving and have a common schedule and route to work. With a Metro Vanpool, all costs are included in one low monthly fare.” The company estimates that every workday, around 1,000 Metro vanpools hit the roads of King County.
The choice for the Model Y was made due to the fact that the electric car “meets county electrification requirements and federal rideshare vehicle specs for FTA grants.” This will not mean that King County will only focus on Tesla’s, as the company writes that it will explore and consider “all available EV option” for future purchase decisions. A goal has been announced for 2030, by which King County Metro plants will have electrified its entire rideshare fleet. Additionally, the purchase price of the Model Y is about the same as gasoline-powered minivans, according to the public transport operator.
Just days ago, King County Metro also ordered a small fleet of electric buses from Solaris, which is due to arrive in the second half of 2026. In 2024, Kiepe was also tasked by the Seattle-based firm to upgrade the batteries for a fleet of New Flyer Xcelsior electric buses. These are not the only electric buses in the fleet, however, as a large order for 395 electric buses was placed with Gillig in early 2024.
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