SEATTLE — KING 5 got an exclusive look at new hybrid-electric Washington State Ferries (WSF) boat models.
The new boats will include charging units on the upper decks.
WSF leaders told KING 5 the new fleet will be the most reliable it's ever been.
Regular ferry riders shared their frustrations with daily sailing delays and cancellations.
Some Vashon Island residents who were recently riding the King County Water Taxi said they're opting for the "foot ferry" because they can't always rely on the car ferry.
“We know that we're not meeting expectations right now," said Steve Nevey, WSF assistant secretary. "We do have plans in place to get there, it's just going to take time and patience.”
WSF said the new hybrid-electric boats will offer more than one way to move people and cars across the water.
The 75-year-old ferry system is moving forward on its electrification plan.
People may be wondering why Washington state is not leading the way in operating a "green" fleet ahead of other systems across the country or around the world.
Nevey said there are a few reasons for that.
First, the original electrification plan was written just before the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot changed since then.
Evolved technology is part of the new plan.
Major changes on board
Vessel charging receptacles will be on the upper bridge deck. Open-air passenger lounges beneath each pilothouse provide approximately 50 open-air seats per end.
WSF said a "high level of accessibility" will remain in place to meet all passengers’ needs.
The new hybrid-electric boats will have reduced topside structure to lower lifecycle cost.
Forty-seven feet of length will be added to the vessel near midship to allow for a 160-vehicle capacity. That is in comparison to 144-vehicle capacity on Olympic Class vessels – the most recent ferries added to the fleet between 2014-2018.
"The best ferry technology in the industry," according to WSF, will be below deck.
A flexible hybrid propulsion plant that includes two diesel engines as well as two battery banks will power two electric motors on each end.
New boats will have rapid-charging technology to charge the batteries during each scheduled terminal stop.
All future WSF vessels will have three modes of operation - battery only, hybrid mode and a backup diesel mode.
WSF said the first five hybrid-electric vessels in the plan are expected to save a combined 240 million gallons of diesel over their 60-year lifespan.
These vessels are a major component of WSF's System Electrification Plan, which will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 76% by the year 2040.
By 2050, WSF aims to be at a "zero emissions" status.
Electrification timeline
“In addition to making us greener, it grows our fleet to provide the level of service we need to deliver to the customers," said Matt Von Ruden, WSF system electrification program administrator.
By the end of this year - WSF will know the number of builders it will work with to build the new fleet.
Contract awards will go out at the start of 2025.
"About a year after that, we would start construction and we plan to have the first vessels - hopefully, two vessels on the water in 2028," Von Ruden said.
The plan is to have two more hybrid electric vessels on the water by 2029 and a fifth boat ready in 2030.
Von Ruden said running hybrid-electric boats versus fully electric vessels is the best option.
“In battery-only mode, where we hope to operate most of the time, it'll be simple bringing power from the electrical grid," Von Ruden said. "In hybrid electric mode, the batteries, and the engines work together, the engine operates at peak efficiency all the time - when there's extra power it sends it to the batteries."
Von Ruden said ferry reliability will change drastically - and for the better.
The average age of boats in the current fleet is about 40 years old. The expectation is to keep a vessel in service for 60 years, which will be the same expectation for each new hybrid-electric ferry.
What are the main causes for delays and cancellations?
In the current 21-vessel WSF fleet - 15 boats are in service.
While maintenance issues are part of scheduling changes - WSF said there are several other components to delays and cancellations.
"Going into the pandemic, the system had issues and the pandemic just really ripped the Band-Aid off those issues," Nevey said. "I think over the last two, three years, we've really been putting in solutions that are going to set the system up to be healthy and resilient long term. It just takes time for those solutions to actually bear fruit. We're starting to bear fruit now."
In May - Nevey said WSF had its first week with no staffing cancellations.
"The boats are running late because they're older," Nevey said. "As we get newer boats, hopefully, they can be more reliable to keep the schedule."
However, Nevey said there are, at times, things that impact scheduling that are completely out of WSF's control.
"If there's a some kind of an emergency or if you have to respond to a rescue for the Coast Guard or someone's car stalls on the ferry - that puts the boat behind and then it runs behind all day," Nevey said. "It's really hard to catch back up on the schedule. So, there's a lot of factors that WSF doesn't control, but we're trying to work on our schedules and make the system as reliable and as resilient as possible."
Will the new ferry feel like a hybrid car?
Von Ruden said a hybrid-electric car is a good analogy for a hybrid-electric vessel.
"Most cars that are plug-in hybrid electric have those same functions now. So, I think, customers will get used to it," Von Ruden said. "Their experience will be a quiet better vessel. They'll have less diesel fuels and particulates coming out of the stack and less vibration. I think that customers will enjoy it."
Head of WSF, Steve Nevey, said the quieter vessels will also benefit crew members.
"I think the fact that the boat is quieter will be good for the crew," Nevey said. "It improves the crew's health and longevity because when you're walking all day on those steel decks that are vibrating, it has an effect on your hips and your knees. I think the crew will also be a lot happier and a lot healthier.
Reducing underwater noise and harm to marine life is also expected.
"Underwater will be quieter. We're reducing that underwater noise profile and that's a big problem," Nevey said. "That creates this confusing pattern of vibrations for the whales. So we have all those positive effects."
Funding the future
The projected cost for the entire plan is about $4 billion.
This includes six vessel conversions, building 16 hybrid-electric boats, and electrifying 16 ferry terminals.
About $1.9 million of that funding is secured.
"That investment was going to need to be made for the most part anyway in new boats just because the fleet is so old," Nevey said. "I think a lot of people see that it's four billion dollars to electrify the fleet. That's not really true. It's about $15 million extra a ship to be electrified and we would have needed to invest in new boats anyway."