Presidio Takes Strides Towards Reducing its Carbon Footprint

San Francisco, CA (February 07, 2023) – The Presidio Trust is pleased to announce that the very first battery-electric bus has joined the Presidio GO shuttle fleet, serving the public at no cost on the scenic Southern Hills​ Route around the park beginning late February. This step is one of many the Trust is exploring as it strives towards an ambitious goal of becoming a net zero carbon park. Methods of cutting greenhouse gas emissions are being examined across park operations, including shifting to using electric vehicles, electric landscaping equipment, installing electric vehicle charging stations, solar energy systems and in the future—using all-electric appliances, water heating and HVAC systems in buildings.

“We’re so excited show our visitors how wonderful an all-electric bus ride can be. The electric bus is just one example of how we can have wonderful experiences without contributing to climate change,” says Jean Fraser, CEO of the Presidio Trust. “Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from our operations is absolutely the right thing to do as stewards of the Presidio and of the planet.”

The first battery-electric Presidio GO bus manufactured by BYD Motors is expected to reduce the shuttle fleet’s carbon footprint by 12% or 50 metrics tons of CO2e per year. Launched in 2002, the existing fleet was designed to be environmentally friendly using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) busses, which produce less air pollution compared to gasoline or diesel. Battery-electric busses have a much lower carbon footprint.

A second bus will arrive early in 2024, and the entire fleet will be converted to battery-powered electric over several years as funding becomes available. The Presidio joins three other national parks that use such busses – Yosemite, Bryce, and Zion. San Francisco (SFMTA) is also currently testing battery-electric buses that require no overhead wire.

Additional Energy Projects

In summer 2023, 20 new EV charging stations will be installed and made publicly available at the Mason Street warehouses. This complements the 11 already in the park, which are owned and maintained by the Presidio Trust, and all are fee-based. The Trust has begun transitioning from gasoline-powered to electric maintenance carts and gardening tools like leaf-blowers and mowers.

To decarbonize the buildings in the Presidio, the Trust aims to install all-electric appliances, water heating, and HVAC systems as it rehabilitates buildings, and gradually replace systems in already-occupied buildings as funding becomes available. Building 1180—84,000 square feet of office space currently under renovation at Crissy Field will be all electric, and available for lease in summer of 2023. The Trust is also exploring the installation of solar systems that generate and store clean electricity, to reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources.

About the New Presidio Go Battery-Electric Bus

The new battery-powered electric Presidio GO is model K7M-ER, manufactured by BYD Motors. It is 30 feet long, has 20 seats, and can accommodate 20 more standees (40-person capacity). The estimated range is 196 miles, and the battery capacity is 313kWh. The bus has a low floor and a wheelchair ramp that will ease boarding for wheelchair users, families, and those with limited mobility. It features a bike rack, and its small turning radius makes it well-suited for navigating streets within the park. Please visit the transportation website for hours of service and stops. No pass is required for this free, around-the-park access.

Funding Support

The Presidio Trust is grateful to the following for contributing to the purchase of this bus: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) as part of the Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program; and the Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP). FLTP is administrated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and was established to improve the transportation infrastructure owned and maintained by federal land management agencies.

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust

The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Spanning 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. Historically a home to native peoples and a military post under three flags, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov.

Media: You are invited to a private ride-along on February 9, at 2:00pm. Please contact Lisa Petrie to RSVP and for more details.

​