Zion National Park has unveiled a fully electric fleet of buses, becoming the first national park in the country to reach that milestone.
It’s a major step for one of the country’s most-visited parks, which has operated a shuttle system since 2000 to address chronic parking and traffic issues. More than four million people visited Zion in 2023.
“This step towards a clean energy future supports the protection of America’s most treasured landscapes, natural wonders, and historic sites in the face of a changing climate,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.
Prior to this, the Utah park used propane-powered buses. The new buses have more capacity and are quieter, too.
The NPS is currently working to transition other large park bus fleets to electric, including those at Grand Canyon, Acadia, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, and Harpers Ferry. This is part of President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which directs the entire federal fleet of 600,000 vehicles to transition to zero-emissions vehicles by 2050.
