Washington’s First Electric Bus Base

Powered by City Light, Driven by Metro

On Wednesday, Seattle City Light celebrated the new Tukwila Bus Base with King County Metro, along with the engineers, planners, operators, project managers, and technicians who made the ambitious vision a reality.

Driving Forward Together

Electric buses improve people’s everyday lives by reducing exhaust and noise pollution. That’s why King County Metro and Seattle City Light partnered to deliver Tukwila Base, the state’s first electric bus base and one of the largest in the country. Tukwila Base has charging capacity for 120 electric buses.

In addition to reducing exhaust and noise, Tukwila Base will help keep transit affordable by making our region less dependent on fluctuating fuel prices. The new base serves as a blueprint for how collaboration between government agencies can expand access to reliable, zero-emission transportation.

“When I started working on transportation electrification at City Light in 2020, I remember thinking that an all-electric fleet felt like a future goal, not an immediate project. Today, we’re standing in that future.”
– David Logsdon, Director of Electrification and Strategic Technology

Better Government at Work 

By working together, King County Metro and City Light are providing affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible services. With the new Tukwila Base, King County Metro can deploy more electric buses. King County Metro purchases carbon-neutral electricity from City Light to power Tukwila Base, which helps keep transportation affordable.

We’re proud that the electricity powering the new facility comes from a carbon-neutral power supply. By pairing clean electricity with zero-emission transit, we’re helping create cleaner air, quieter neighborhoods, and a more sustainable transportation system.

A Partnership that Spans Decades

King County Metro and Seattle City Light have been working together since 1973. When an oil embargo drove up gas prices, King County Metro and City Light teamed up to provide affordable and dependable transit options. King County Metro modernized and expanded our region’s zero-emissions trolley network and City Light added substations dedicated to powering trolley buses. By 2000, City Light had built over 40 substations to power electric transportation.

In 2021, King County Metro and City Light focused on supporting battery-electric buses. This led to a test facility at South Base to learn the ropes of operating an electric bus charging depot. With that experience, King County Metro and City Light were able to design and launch one of the country’s largest electric bus facilities this year at Tukwila Base.

A Blueprint for Innovation

As King County Metro’s first zero-emissions bus base, Tukwila Base serves as a foundation for future base conversions. It is an example of how City Light and King County Metro can deliver more electric bus facilities to expand access to affordable, reliable, zero-emission transportation.

David Logsdon said, “This project is an example of government at its best. Public agencies with a shared mission came together, combined our expertise, and stayed focused on results. That’s how innovation happens, and that’s how we deliver lasting value for the communities we serve.”

Operating Tukwila Base will inform how King County Metro and City Light approach more conversions in coming years. City Light will work to scale electrical grid capacities and King County Metro will oversee the procurement and testing of charging infrastructure for modern, battery-electric buses. King County Metro will use the South Base facility to test if new technology meets service needs. This will help King County Metro stay flexible as technology continues to evolve.

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