Ireland’s first fully-electric bus went into operation today, representing another milestone in the country’s transition to a low-carbon future.
The Volvo bus – commissioned by Tifco Hotel Group – will operate an 8km round trip between the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Dublin Airport every 30 minutes from 4am to 11.30pm daily, 7 days a week.
ESB, through its Smart Energy Services business, is providing a high-powered electric vehicle charging solution which will be located on the hotel grounds. The bus, a one-door 12m Generation 2 7900e with 200kW battery capacity, will charge fully in 50 minutes.
The new shuttle bus, which is replacing an existing diesel bus, is estimated to cover an average annual mileage of around 88,000km. It will provide a complimentary service for guests of the hotel, with drop off and pick up at terminal two at the Airport.
Speaking at the launch of the bus earlier today, Garret O’Neill General Manager for the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport and Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport said: “As a company we are always looking to the future and adopting facilities and services that will improve our guests’ experiences and benefit our local community and environment. Over the past number of years, we have taken a number of significant measures to reduce the hotels’ carbon footprint. While the purchase of the new Volvo 7900e electric bus is a significant financial investment for the hotel we believe it will deliver long term benefits for both the customer and the local environment.”
Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive of ESB, said: “ESB is committed to a low carbon energy future, powered by clean electricity, so we are delighted to be involved in this initiative to put the first fully-electric bus onto Irish roads. Working closely with the Tifco Hotel Group, our Smart Energy Services team installed an advanced charge point system that integrates with the airport shuttle schedule to allow the bus to operate seamlessly throughout the day.”
Dalton Philips, daa Chief Executive said: ““Our licence to grow Dublin Airport is predicated on operating in a sustainable manner and we take our responsibilities in this regard very seriously. We are constantly working with various business partners operating both in the terminals and on the airport campus to ensure that, together, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable Dublin Airport for all”.
“Using low-emission and electric vehicles is a great step in achieving our campus sustainability targets and being an exemplar to other airports and organisations in Ireland and across the world. We are delighted to welcome this initiative from the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Express Hotel and ESB and look forward to supporting other business partners as they move to more sustainable practices,” he added.
ESB provided the capital to finance the vehicle charging infrastructure under its Smart Energy Services partnership agreement with the Crowne Plaza.