First Volvo 7900e to operate Dublin hotel shuttle service

The first right-hand drive electric Volvo 7900e bus to go into service in the UK or Ireland will be operating as a shuttle service for a Dublin Airport hotel.

The plug-in electric-single-decker is due in service later this year and will link the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express hotels with the airport’s two passenger terminals.

The project is a collaboration between Volvo Bus, Tifco Hotel Group and state energy supplier ESB.

The single-door 12m Generation 2 7900e with 200kW battery capacity will be recharged at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, using high-power plug-in charging delivered by ESB’s Smart Energy Services division.

Tom Colman, Group Procurement Manager for the Tifco Hotel Group, says: “Our decision to invest in a complete electric solution for the Crowne Plaza shuttle service at Dublin Airport is an important step for us.

“As a group, we take our environmental responsibilities seriously.Tackling climate change and carbon emissions is at the forefront of everything we do and choosing a zero emissions bus forms part of this ethos and approach.”

Nick Page, managing director for Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, says: “We’re really pleased that the 7900e has been chosen to provide services for these hotels in and around Dublin Airport and that it will be the first electric bus to enter operation anywhere in Ireland.

“We’ve seen from experience with the 7900e the kind of contribution that can be made to improving air quality. In addition to the UK trials, it has been successfully tried and tested across Europe in countries including Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg.”