The City of Seattle (City) has adopted policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of which Green Fleet Action Plan (GFAP) is a cornerstone to the strategy. The GFAP captures the City’s commitment to 50% GHG emission reduction and a 100% fossil-fuel-free fleet by 2030. Electrification of the City’s vehicle fleet is a key component of this initiative.

 

An Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) systemwide assessment was completed in 2017 to guide the city through the next steps of implementation. The study captures the city’s operating fleet, distribution, and opportunities to phase in the GFAP.

 

Onboarding Fleet Electrification

The phasing strategy balances the goals of the plan with visibility to assess human behavior towards the initiative. The technical phased approach required an in-depth assessment of the existing infrastructure, adaptations required to accommodate the new load and compliance with the aggressive 2018 Seattle Energy Code (SEC). The 2018 SEC was the inaugural introduction of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) to the code that errored on the side of caution when sizing for EVCSs.

 

As one of the City’s first pilot projects, the team balanced project objectives with the new SEC to develop a path to expand the electrical infrastructure for 150 EVCSs to be installed in the SeaPark Garage, with capacity for future expansion. This was the largest installation to date in the City’s operating portfolio. Additional sites have been brought online across the enterprise.