A ferry that carries drivers across the Alabama River in Wilcox County has earned a place in the transportation record books. The Gee’s Bend ferry is now the first all-electric vehicle ferry operating in the United States, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Mobile office, which announced the milestone when the vessel returned to service.
The ferry came back into operation after undergoing a conversion from diesel power to an all-electric drive system. Officials with ALDOT confirmed the historic switch in early April 2019, marking what transportation leaders describe as a first for American vehicle ferries.
Daily Crossings on the Alabama River
The vessel provides daily service across the Alabama River at Gee’s Bend, the rural community in Wilcox County known nationwide for its quilting tradition and its isolated river peninsula. For residents, the ferry remains a vital link, sparing drivers the long drive around the river bend to reach schools, jobs, and services in neighboring communities.
Although the ferry serves Wilcox County, the project falls under the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Mobile-area operations, which manage the vessel under contract. Day-to-day service is operated by HMS Ferries, a company that runs ferry systems in several states.
A Sign of Things to Come
The conversion positions the small Black Belt community’s crossing at the forefront of a broader shift toward electric transportation infrastructure. Diesel-to-electric repowerings of work vessels are still uncommon across the country, making the Gee’s Bend project a potential model for other river crossings considering cleaner technology.
For now, the ferry continues its familiar routine — back and forth across the Alabama River — but it does so quietly, powered entirely by electricity rather than diesel engines.