Ballymena based Wrightbus has today announced an agreement for 800 double-decker, battery-electric buses.
The first order of 120 buses are part of a framework agreement which provides for the procurement of 800 zero-emission battery-electric buses over a five year period.
This initial order for 120 buses represents an investment of some €80.4m.
The buses, Streetdeck Electroliner BEVs, will be manufactured and assembled at the Wrightbus facility in Galgorm, on the outskirts of Ballymena.
These will be the first battery-electric double-deck buses to be added to the national bus fleet in Ireland and their addition will deliver a significant uplift in the proportion of low- or zero-emission buses.
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This deal is a major component of the overall strategy to build a sustainable future by decarbonising the country’s PSO public transport fleet.
As they incorporate a fully battery-electric powertrain, the buses will operate with zero tailpipe-emissions, which will contribute to a substantial improvement in air quality in the cities and towns in which they are deployed.
Commenting on the buses, Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan said: “Public transport because it is shared mobility is already a far more sustainable and economical way of getting around, particularly compared to a private car that runs on fossil fuel, and the battery-electric buses that we are now ordering, will accelerate the transition to a zero-emission fleet.”
He added: “Going electric will reduce the carbon footprint of our public transport fleet, and will help us reach our long-term climate goals, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan. These new electric buses will also help reduce air pollution, improve public health and improve access to public transport for people of all abilities.”
Of the 120 buses currently on order, 100 are destined for use by Dublin Bus on PSO bus services within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and 20 are destined for use by Bus Éireann for use in the Limerick Metropolitan Area. Buses from future orders may also be used to operate PSO bus services in other parts of Ireland, including the metropolitan areas of Cork, Galway and Waterford.
Commissioning and training activities will get under way later this year, as will work on installing the necessary charging infrastructure. The first buses are expected to enter passenger service in 2023.
Neil Collins, Managing Director of Wrightbus, concluded: “This deal further cements the reputation we have built in the zero-emission sector, and follows hot on the heels of historic deals in Australia and Germany. This shows our ambition to be at the forefront of the zero emission drive in cities, towns and rural areas across the world.”
