Ireland has made its mark on the global effort to reduce carbon emissions with the launch of its first fully-electric bus.

The new Volvo bus took to Irish roads for the first time yesterday, 09 January, where it 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.

Commissioned by Tifco Hotel Group, the shuttle bus replaces an existing diesel bus and is estimated to cover an average annual mileage of around 88,000km.

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.

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Speaking at the launch of the bus, 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, added: "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."

This project forms part of a larger scheme to grow Dublin Airport and create a more sustainable facility.

(CM/MH)