(The Center Square) – King County Metro is adding 120 electric vehicles to its vanpool fleet as part of an ongoing effort to separate from carbon-emitting vehicles.
Vanpool services entail commuters sharing a King County-owned and operated van. All costs are included as part of a monthly fare of $49.
According to King County Metro Public Information Officer Elaine Porterfield, the cost of the 120 electric vehicles is $6.43 million.
Costs with accessories, chargers and licensing included brings it to a total of $6.49 million.
The county’s 2025 budget established $5.5 million for the purchase of 221 new electric vans needed to support Metro’s Vanpool Program.
The county purchased the Tesla Model Y, which is the only seven-passenger, fully-electric vehicle that exists.
The county touts that the Model Y costs about the same as gasoline-powered minivans. The vehicle also fits within Metro’s cost-recovery vanpool fare model and meets King County electrification, federal grant, and employer transportation benefit eligibility requirements.
Electric vehicles now make up nearly 10% of Metro’s vanpool fleet. The county set out a goal of electrifying its entire rideshare fleet by 2030.
In 2020, the county set goals to reduce King County’s vehicle fleet greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over 2017 levels by 2025. As a result, the county has prioritized the purchase of electric vehicles since.
According to the county’s 2025 budget, vanpool expenditures total $13.5 million next year, a 56% decrease from the 2023-2024 budget. However, vanpool expenditures are projected to boost up to $28.7 million in the 2026-2027 biennium.