Fully Electric Fast Ferry Planned For Bremerton-Seattle Route

SEATTLE — An electric, low-emission fast ferry could soon be carrying commuters between Seattle and Bremerton.

Kitsap Transit announced this week it has been selected as the design route for a fully-electric fast ferry. Kitsap Transit has been working on bringing an electric ferry to the Bremerton-Seattle route since at least 2020, when it applied for, and won, a federal grant to a design high-speed passenger ferry powered by battery-electric, low-emission tech. As their grant application notes, even a hybrid diesel-electric ferry would be a boon for the environment, saving up to 1,500 tons of carbon-dioxide each year.

Monday's update means the project is moving forward, as contractors will now work to design a ferry that can take a full round trip through Rich Passage on a single battery charge, the agency said.

Kitsap Transit also released several conceptual images of the new ferry, which look pretty different from anything currently sailing Puget Sound.

Organizers say they still have "a lot of work to do in this conceptual phase" and still need to consider battery sizes, infrastructure impacts and how to charge the ferry at the Bremerton dock, but they're optimistic that the fast ferry program is drawing closer to fruition.

"Wish us luck as we apply for funding to take this project to the next phase!" the agency tweeted.

Kitsap Transit currently runs three hydrofoil-assisted fast ferries, all of which run on conventional diesel fuel. The agency says it carried more than 3.8 million passengers in 2018.