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SPRINGDALE, Washington County — On Wednesday morning, sunlight streamed over Zion National Park's peaks, silhouetting the first electric shuttle bus fleet in a U.S. national park.
National Park Service leadership joined local staff to discuss the impact of the new shuttle fleet at the Zion Human History Museum. These battery-electric buses replace the propane-powered vehicles that have served the park since 2000. The new shuttle buses have air conditioning that was lacking in the propane-fueled buses.
National Park Service Director Chuck Sams told St. George News that the bus fleet will be a standard going forward, showing other parks what they can do nationwide.
"Bringing and electrifying our mass transportation system here in Zion National Park is extremely important. It's going to set the foundational work of how we wish to do this across the park service. More importantly, these buses give zero emissions and are very, very quiet," Sams said. "As we can hear the wind just standing here today and hear the different types of animals in the park, it's extremely important that these buses will give a unique experience to our American and international visitors who are so fortunate to be here."
