Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Washington State Ferries Celebrates a Year of Hybrid-Electric Milestones

Saturday, July 18, 2026, is the one-year anniversary of the Wenatchee returning to service. The Wenatchee is North America’s largest hybrid-electric ferry. It was a historic moment for Washington State Ferries. It’s also a vital proof of concept for building a cleaner, more reliable fleet. Looking back over the past year, that single step has turned into incredible momentum. We want to share the progress of our Electrification Program.

As with any first-of-its-kind project, the Wenatchee faced typical commissioning hurdles early on. However, thanks to the hard work of crews and partners, those challenges are in the past.

In its first year the Wenatchee racked up some impressive numbers. On its Seattle to Bainbridge Island route, we had:

  • 5,500 sailings
  • 1.8 million total passengers
  • 552,000 vehicles

The hybrid-electric ferry even took center stage on the global map. During the recent World Cup matches in Seattle from June 15 to July 6, the Wenatchee carried:

  • 206,000 passengers
  • 104,000 walk-on visitors
  • 49,900 vehicles

Travelers from across the globe experienced our clean, quiet, cutting-edge maritime transit.

A close-up view along the curved passenger deck of the Wenatchee ferry at dusk. A green lightning bolt and the words "Hybrid Electric" are printed on the white exterior wall of the ship, illuminated by a warm yellow deck light. In the background, across the water, the Seattle skyline is visible, featuring the brightly lit purple and white Seattle Great Wheel.

An aerial, high-angle view of the upper deck and smokestack of the Wenatchee ferry. The white smokestack features the green Washington State Ferries logo above a green stripe containing a white lightning bolt and the words "Hybrid Electric." The surrounding deck is light grey, and the ferry is surrounded by calm, green water with a forested shoreline visible in the background.
Placed on the smokestack and above the passenger loading area, new Hybrid Electric markers welcome passengers aboard the Wenatchee.  

The real-world data from this first year is encouraging. We don’t have rapid charging at the terminal yet. But even without that, the Wenatchee is operating in hybrid electric mode. That means fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions. Once we have full shoreside charging, carbon emissions could be reduced by 90 percent or more.

The Wenatchee is just the beginning. The past year brought massive structural progress across the entire electrification portfolio. We’ve cemented key industrial partnerships to build out the future ecosystem:

  • Shoreside Charging Infrastructure: Siemens Energy is designing and constructing charging stations on shore. The Seattle to Bainbridge Island rapid charging project is on track to be completed in 2029.
  • Automatic Charging: Stemmann-Technik will provide specialized charging systems. These systems will physically connect the terminals to the vessels.
  • Charge Management: Washington State University Engineering is designing the “brain” to manage charging.
  • New Hybrid Builds: ABB will make propulsion and power storage systems.

The momentum is not just on paper. Hybrid ferries that carry 160 autos are being constructed in Florida. The engineering design work on those is now nearly wrapped up. We expect to cross a huge construction threshold by cutting steel later this summer.

We started with a single converted vessel navigating its first hybrid runs. Now we have an entire supply chain humming into motion. The last year proved that maritime electrification is no longer a distant vision. It is happening right now on the Puget Sound.

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