Washington state’s next-gen ferry era kicks off with 3 new hybrid boats in $1.15B deal

Older ferries like this vessel sailing across Washington’s Puget Sound are scheduled to be upgraded or replaced with electric-hybrid ferries to cut greenhouse emissions. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) The sun is setting on Washington state’s aging diesel-powered ferry fleet as work begins on new hybrid-electric vessels. Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Fla., has started building the state’s first new ferry since the Suquamish launched in 2018.