WA county adds 120 Tesla Model Y units to its vanpool fleet

12/28/2024 10:08 AM

In a push to reduce carbon emissions, King County Metro has expanded its vanpool fleet with the addition of 120 Tesla Model Y vehicles.

Vanpool Program Expansion:

• King County Metro’s vanpool program allows commuters to share rides in county-owned vans for a flat monthly fee of $49.
• As per Public Information Officer Elaine Porterfield, the acquisition of the 120 Model Y units cost $6.43 million.
• Including accessories, chargers, and licensing, the total expense for the new Model Y fleet came up to $6.49 million.
• King County Metro’s 2025 budget has allocated $5.5 million for the acquisition of 221 new electric vans to support its Metro Vanpool Program.

Choosing Tesla Model Y:

• The Tesla Model Y was chosen as it’s the only seven-seat, fully electric vehicle that fits perfectly into Metro’s cost-recovery vanpool fare model. 
• The county highlighted that the Model Y is also comparably priced to traditional gas minivans, and it meets electrification, federal grant, and employer transportation benefit eligibility requirements, as noted in a report from The Center Square.
• Electric vehicles now constitute almost 10% of the county’s vanpool fleet, aligning with King County’s ambition to have an all-electric rideshare fleet by 2030.

Financial Outlook:

• The 2025 budget shows vanpool expenditures at $13.5 million, a significant 56% reduction from the 2023-2024 budget. 
• Projections, however, suggest an increase to $28.7 million for the 2026-2027 period, which could translate to the further expansion of the country’s vanpool service.

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