Electric vehicles are no longer a niche option in Juneau and across Southeast Alaska. Nearly one in ten Juneau households now owns an EV or plug-in hybrid, drawn by lower operating costs, reliable performance in cold weather, and the region’s abundant and generally low-cost renewable electricity. For many families, EVs are a practical response to high fuel prices and a key part of reducing local air pollution and climate impacts. Businesses and local government are also increasingly shifting to electric vehicles for the same reason.
Last fall, Alaska Marine Lines suddenly halted shipments of electric vehicles due to fire safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries.
But getting electric vehicles into and out of Southeast Alaska has suddenly become much harder. For this reason, and the tension between safety, access, and the region’s transportation needs, Renewable Juneau and partner organizations including the Juneau Electric Vehicle Association, the Access Alaska committee, IBEW, Juneau Hydropower, and the Alaska Energy Authority are convening a public panel discussion on Southeast Electric Vehicle Shipping Solutions. Tune it on Wednesday, February 11, from 6–8 p.m. at Juneau, Alaska’s KTOO Radio 360 Studio. In addition to the in-person panel discussion at KTOO, the session will be streamed live below and recorded for viewing.
Tune in here on Wednesday, February 11,
at 6 p.m to watch the EV panel livestream! The stream will begin automatically at 6pm Wednesday. The frame below is the viewer panel and will feature automatically stream the panel session once in progress.
The Alaska Marine Highway System has limited its sailings to carry two EVs or plug-in hybrids per trip. These changes have created real challenges for residents, businesses, and dealerships. EV owners need to transport vehicles for repairs or resale, and potential buyers face long delays or uncertainty about whether they can bring newer models to Southeast communities at all.
These restrictions are rooted in legitimate safety questions. High-profile fires aboard cargo ships elsewhere in the world have raised concerns across the maritime industry, and both private and public carriers are reassessing how electric vehicles are transported safely. At the same time, Southeast Alaska’s geography makes marine transport essential. There is no practical alternative for most vehicle movements.
The goal of the panel is not to assign blame, but to build understanding and identify workable paths forward. We’ll explore what has changed in marine shipping policies, what constraints carriers are facing, and what technical or operational options might allow more consistent EV access while maintaining safety.
The conversation will bring together voices from across the system: Alaska Marine Lines, the Alaska Marine Highway System, local auto dealers, labor, utilities, and policymakers. Panelists include the president of Alaska Marine Lines, the director of the Alaska ferry system, the owner of Affordable Auto, a representative of IBEW, and Representative Bynum from Ketchikan.
Electric vehicles are an important part of Southeast Alaska’s transportation future. Solving the shipping challenge will require collaboration, transparency, and practical problem-solving—and this panel is a step toward that shared work.
Let us know how you’ve been affected by the EV shipping restrictions, or ask questions you’d like to have addressed by the panel by e-mailing us at renewablejuneau@gmail, or commenting on our Facebook posts. There won’t be much time for public comments or questions at the panel, but we’ll make sure that common concerns and your questions are addressed.