News / Published on Apr 8, 2021
Vanpool gets even greener with new hybrid vans
Vanpool is already a green way to travel — taking cars off the road by sharing the ride to work. But that green gets even brighter when you can share the ride in a hybrid electric vehicle. With the first plug-in electric hybrid minivan now available on the market, we are excited to start testing five of these new vehicles with our Vanpool service.
Community Transit’s Vanpool service provides safe, reliable vans so that groups traveling to or from Snohomish County can commute together to save time, money and the planet. Beginning last week, five Vanpool groups are now driving new hybrid vans to work every weekday, using less gas and reducing air pollution.
“Exploring hybrid minivans is part and parcel of Community Transit’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “As many of our customers begin to rethink their commutes, we hope that they will consider our Vanpool program — and the many safety protocols we have adopted — as a greener option to get to work.”
Keep your eyes peeled for vans like the one pictured above when you’re out on the road. The plug-in electric hybrid 2020 Chrysler Pacifica is one of the first hybrid minivans on the market and is powered by 97 percent carbon-free electricity. The vans can travel 32 miles on battery alone and can seat up to seven passengers when social distancing is not in place.
The new vans will travel to employer sites that offer charging stations, and we estimate they will save a total of about 925 gas miles each week (replaced by electric-powered miles). This works out to a carbon emission savings of about 19.43 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) yearly. According to the EPA, the reduction in carbon emissions from these hybrid vans is about equal to the carbon released by an average passenger vehicle driving 48,213 miles. That’s about how many miles it would take a car driving in a straight line to circle the earth twice.
This pilot project will help shape future decisions about the vehicles our Vanpool program uses and what investments we make in the future.
Anyone interested in learning more about our Vanpool program can visit communitytransit.org/vanpool or email vanpool@commtrans.org with questions.
Community Transit’s Vanpool service provides safe, reliable vans so that groups traveling to or from Snohomish County can commute together to save time, money and the planet. Beginning last week, five Vanpool groups are now driving new hybrid vans to work every weekday, using less gas and reducing air pollution.
“Exploring hybrid minivans is part and parcel of Community Transit’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “As many of our customers begin to rethink their commutes, we hope that they will consider our Vanpool program — and the many safety protocols we have adopted — as a greener option to get to work.”
Keep your eyes peeled for vans like the one pictured above when you’re out on the road. The plug-in electric hybrid 2020 Chrysler Pacifica is one of the first hybrid minivans on the market and is powered by 97 percent carbon-free electricity. The vans can travel 32 miles on battery alone and can seat up to seven passengers when social distancing is not in place.
The new vans will travel to employer sites that offer charging stations, and we estimate they will save a total of about 925 gas miles each week (replaced by electric-powered miles). This works out to a carbon emission savings of about 19.43 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) yearly. According to the EPA, the reduction in carbon emissions from these hybrid vans is about equal to the carbon released by an average passenger vehicle driving 48,213 miles. That’s about how many miles it would take a car driving in a straight line to circle the earth twice.
This pilot project will help shape future decisions about the vehicles our Vanpool program uses and what investments we make in the future.
Anyone interested in learning more about our Vanpool program can visit communitytransit.org/vanpool or email vanpool@commtrans.org with questions.
Written by Rory Graves, Marketing Copywriter & Content Specialist
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