All Zion National Park shuttles are now electric

Zion National Park visitor shuttles are going green.

On Wednesday, park officials announced that all visitor shuttles are now 100% electric.

The park's shuttle service launched in 2000 using propane-powered vehicles. Last September, the park began using five electric buses and slowly transitioned to using all electric vehicles.

"As stewards of our national parks, our goal is to protect these landscapes for future generations," National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. "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."

Over 90 million people have used the shuttle service since 2000. Park officials say the zero-emission buses improve the visitor experience with higher total capacity on board and quieter operations as the vehicles move through the park.

"This new electric shuttle fleet is operational due to the amazing work of transportation specialists and engineers at our park, regional and national technical centers and partner staff," Zion National park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said. "Zion is committed to an electric future to protect the environment and improve visitor experiences in the park."

This project is part of the federal government's goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Part of that goal is transitioning a fleet of 600,000 federal vehicles to zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.

Zion is the first part in the National Park System to transition to a fully-electric transit fleet. Other national parks that are being evaluated include Grand Canyon, Acadia, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, and Harpers Ferry national parks.