Transportation Electrification

Seattle is committed to reducing our climate pollution in the transportation sector. Seattle has established ambitious, yet achievable, 2030 goals to accelerate market transformation and make it possible for Seattle to achieve a clean energy future.

News & Updates

In 2023, the City of Seattle released the Clean Transportation Electrification Blueprint Actions Report which highlights the cross-departmental work that was accomplished in 2022 and 2023 to propel Seattle towards our 2030 Northstar goals.

Transportation Electrification Blueprint

In March 2021, Seattle released the Transportation Electrification Blueprint which includes six ambitious goals to accelerate market transformation and make it possible for Seattle to reduce climate and air pollution, provide more electric mobility options, build a reliable and resilient energy grid, create a pipeline of green job creation, and add a more just and diverse workforce.

The development of the Transportation Electrification Blueprint and its goals included consulting with the Environmental Justice Committee and community leaders, and is centered on community-identified priorities of expanding electric transit and mobility options, making electric vehicles and charging more reliable and accessible, and connecting workforce opportunities to communities who need them the most. Specific goals include:

1. 100 Percent of Shared Mobility is Zero Emissions

As shared mobility services like bikes, scooters, taxis, Uber, Lyft, carshare services and others continue to expand in Seattle, the City will ensure those options are electric and emissions free. SDOT and the University of Washington's Urban Freight Lab are launching a shared use micro-hub site (a large set of semi-permanent lockers for people to pick-up deliveries, food trucks and an e-cargo bike delivery pilot) near Seattle Center.

2. 90 Percent of All Personal Trips are Zero Emissions

To reach our climate goals, by 2030 nine out of ten trips must be taken by walking, biking, electric transit or in an electric vehicle (or avoided all together).

3. 30 Percent of Goods Delivery is Zero Emissions

As more and more of the goods we buy and the food we eat are purchased online, we are seeing growing congestion and pollution from transportation. This goal is aimed to spur the transition of private fleets to EVs, following the same goal for personal vehicles, over the next 10 years. Supported by a grant from ICCT, OSE is partnering with the Duwamish Valley community and the African Chamber of Commerce to electrify port drayage trucks.

4. 100 percent of City Fleet is fossil-fuel free (Executive Order 2018-02)

Continuing to lead by example, Seattle will operate a large municipal fleet with zero fossil fuels by 2030. Through its Green Fleet Action Plan, FAS has a plan for the city fleet to be fossil fuel free by 2030. City Light is also planning to launch major new fleet and personal mobility programs in 2022.

5. One or more 'Green & Healthy Streets' in Seattle

Seattle will ensure a major area of our city will have zero emissions from transportation including streets or blocks that are closed to cars and promote walking, biking, electrified transit, and electric goods delivery and services.

6. Electrical infrastructure required to stay ahead of Transportation Electrification adoption is installed and operational.

Infrastructure investments will enable a rapid transition to an electrified transportation system. Seattle City Light will work strategically to make sure the grid is reliable and built out to enable rapid adoption for emerging electric transportation technologies and vehicles. City Light is investing in grid upgrades and EV charging infrastructure, including King County Metro South Base, WSDOT Ferries, and public fast charging.