SE Systems

PUBLIC

Athlone electric town buses

Summary

Client: Athlone Electric Town Buses
Location: Athlone
Sector: Public & Transport

Fleet Savings
0 kWh

The Challenge

Bus Éireann in partnership with the National Transport Authority, launched Ireland’s first all-electric town bus service in Athlone in January 2023. This pioneering project was designed to assess the technical and operational implications of transitioning a service to 100% electric provision.

The town’s bus serves a population of approximately 21,000 with more than 10,000 passenger journeys weekly and covers over 540,000 km annually. The project involved detailed planning, a vehicle tender process, upgrading electrical charging infrastructure, and training mechanics and drivers.

The Solution

SE Systems working in partnership with ESB Smart Energy Services, the Main contractor for the EV infrastructure, acted as grant coordinator for the nine 150kW EV chargers that are powering Eleven of Bus Eireann’s first electric buses in Athlone Town.This technically challenging project consisted of a new electrical substation, major civil works and electrical infrastructure installations. This first of its kind project has paved the way for the transition to sustainable transport across Ireland’s Public Sector.

The Impact

“Since introducing the electric buses, there has been an energy consumption reduction of 55% and emissions reduction of 48% compared to the previous diesel fleet. The quieter and cleaner service resulted in a 40% increase in passenger numbers.”

“The project has led to learnings being applied to other depots, and Bus Éireann plans to introduce EV buses across its NTA-supported services to more cities and towns in the coming years.”

This project was the winner of the 2023 SEAI Energy Awards in the Transport Category.

“The most important thing for a project like this is we've seen over 50% emission reduction and over 50% energy reduction.”

“The people of Athlone now have quieter cleaner busses”

Stephen Kent

CEO Bus Eireann

The Partners

Client

Community Energy Grant

Main Contractor

Grant Co-ordination

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