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.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
