A Volvo 7900e electric bus has entered service at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel. The first of its type for the Irish market, the bus will operate every 30 minutes between the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Holiday Inn Express and terminals 1 and 2 at Dublin Airport. Replacing the previous diesel bus, the project has been brought about by a partnership between Volvo Bus, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Irish energy supplier ESB. Charging will be provided outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel by a high power CCS combo 2 150kW charger.
Nick Page, Managing Director for Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, said: “We are excited to see the 7900e entering service in and around Dublin Airport. This is the culmination of 24 months of planning and eventual installation of the required infrastructure for this first of its type electric bus to enter operation anywhere in Ireland.
“The 7900e is a proven vehicle having been tried and tested in countries across Europe and we know the significant contribution it can make to improving air quality. Specifically it met with the requirements to provide a sustainable, quiet and comfortable shuttle service. More than 150 7900e buses have already been sold and are now in service throughout Europe. In the UK we have recently had six 7900e electric buses commence a similar shuttle provision at Birmingham Airport, with a further eight being adopted for town service use in Harrogate.
Garret O’Neill, General Manager for the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport & Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport, continued: “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 hotel’s 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.”
