Electric, Hydrogen & Hybrid Electric Buses in Ireland

d51984

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121081979#Comment_121081979

A major re shuffle of buses will take place when these FINALLY start to enter traffic, Clontarf are set to receive a lone PA class bus for type training, so some interesting inter garage transfers ahead.. Interesting is that there are EW class buses in storage with mirrors and with camera mirrors so I don't know what the deal is there...

AX636

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082576#Comment_121082576

I was talking to a lad in maintenance today in Summerhill, he said the PA'S won't be going to Clontarf as he said they won't make the turn after the wash, he said the SG's barely make it. But like everything in DB take it with a pinch of salt till it happens.

A1ACo

Below is a recent video of a test run of the new (hybrid – batteries/part overhead wires) trolleybus system in Prague (both videos below show that the new trolleybuses use only standard, single-decker length and not longer articulated types).

Trolejová zkouška na nové trolejbusové trati Letňany – Čakovice - YouTube

This first short video shows the new system’s relatively thin wires, including at some large junctions, and a large, green area roundabout that would not be unfamiliar in Ireland, and including dual-carriage way and QBC type lane route.

Comeback of trolleybuses to Prague. Through which places they will go? - YouTube

This second video (use subtitles) from a guy in Prague not a particular fan of anything other than overground trains as he makes clear(!) shows at 3:30 some comparison of noise (and vibration) of a Trolleybus vs. Diesel bus, at 2:36 note a narrowish road between low to tallish buildings with wires stated and shown to be partly hung off both existing, and new public light poles, and also stated that - at some junctions the batteries used to avoid a lot of wires.

p_haugh

Leo Varadkar was up in Ballymena yesterday for a photo op with the new EWs being made up there.

https://twitter.com/Wright_bus/status/1701293808271429765?t=PytRwy6WOKbiGyLvKJJTLA&s=19

Interesting to see that the Bus Eireann one in the photo has a fleet code of EWD. Assume it's going to be the same setup as with the PA/Ds - EW for Dublin bus, EWD for Bus Eireann.

Which makes it even more interesting is that the EA single deckers being used by Bus Eireann dont seem to have gotten this treatment!

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088548#Comment_121088548

What's any of this got to do with the thread subject?

Electric, Hydrogen & Hybrid Electric Buses in Ireland

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121100221#Comment_121100221

D is for double decker I think

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121106301#Comment_121106301

Yeah I knew the logic, just surprised they didn't do EA/EAS (or similar) for the single deckers

mikeybhoy

Their Streetlites didn't get it either their WD and WL

StreetLight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121136654#Comment_121136654

They have been in service for some years already. The post you're replying to was made in 2019.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121137290#Comment_121137290

Bot account which got nuked.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120865729#Comment_120865729

The infrastructure argument doesnt even come into it IMO for PSVs. There is no way a PSV can use a public charger during the working day and lose 1-2 hours of productivity. Look at the reviews that Bjorn did, buses and trucks that are EV take 2 hours on a 800V charger due to the sheer size of the batteries.

The answer is, the same as it is currently for LPG/CNG buses and even diesel buses a lot of times. Refuel only at the depot. Have enough range for the days operation with some buffer spare so you're not hypermiling the last few stops on a cold winter day. Charge at night where there are excess renewables anyway.

Lets say you have a 300kwh battery in a bus. If you can get a 40-50kW charger at the depot it will charge overnight in 6-7 hours. You could even have a 30kW and charge in 9-10 hours overnight. They usually only charge on DC so you'd have the initial expense but commercial electricity is often very cheap or negative at night.

Imagine a city bus depot with 10 buses all charging overnight and the amount of carcinogens and fossil fuels that saves from being emitted in the local area.

Trouwe Ier

Is there any update on when the EWs may finally enter service on the streets of Dublin ?

The rollout in Dublin seems to have stalled repeatedly over the past few months and the electrification works at Roxboro Depot are moving at a steady but unspectacular pace, presumably influenced by the timeline for Hitachi to manufacture, install and commission its MV substation.

AX636

Late Oct early November is what I'm hearing in Dublin Bus with Summerhill being the first garage.

p_haugh

Going by Facebook and Tapatalk, there'll be a couple of EWs in service on the 123 from Monday.

AX636

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121163359#Comment_121163359

A driver said four buses will be out on Monday on the 123 that's the plan, but i think its only going to be one.

LXFlyer

EW2 is in service on the 123 this morning.

DaBluBoi

Video of it in service:

https://youtu.be/NAoVVXUcH20?si=7OwUTBKqAQg0n3WM

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121185166#Comment_121185166

Looks good!

Liking the new stop announcement screens but they seem to be basic on the details for now. Hopefully they flesh them out a bit more over time, i.e. realtime for the next couple of routes for the given stop etc. Or even just have something similar to the BE style, a list of upcoming stops for that route and how far away they are.

mikeybhoy

Dublinbusstuff.com have a piece on them

https://www.dublinbusstuff.com/PhotoWeek/EWClass.html

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121185273#Comment_121185273

Look very similar to the PAs inside

p_haugh

EW61 is the first of the Electric double deckers to start tracking on the api. It's up on bus times for those looking to spot one (has only been on one trip this morning, however).

https://bustimes.org/vehicles/ie-2410

NIMAN

Last few months has seen Derry get a selection of electric buses, both single and double deckers.

zg3409

Not my pic

d51984

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187241#Comment_121187241

This will be the standard interior going forward. Buses Trains and commuter coaches will have same fabric design.

bk

That is a fantastic picture, makes so much sense, easy to see if someone forgot to plug the bus in and charging.

thomasj

One of the new electric buses broken down halfway up the cabra road this morning. Traffic backed up behind it all the way back to cabra cross

dublinman1990

The report on the new electric buses on Prime Time was very interesting last night.

https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2023/1107/1415097-dozens-of-electric-buses-not-in-use-due-to-lack-of-charge-points/

The NTA are still saying though that the charging points in Summerhill will go live later this month. Phibsboro's charging points will go live in December.

There has to be some action taken to get the electric charging points in the remainder of the depots to be built now while making them exempt under current planning legislation.

What could it take in legal terms to do that particular work?

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121340000#Comment_121340000

It's also out of date. They say there's none of the new buses in service yet, yet there's been ones out in service since mid-October!

bk

Yes I found that prime time article poorly written and out of date. Clearly some of the new buses are already in service. Also they make a comparison with Norway already having a 100% electric bus fleet. But Norway uses all single decker buses, so it is an apples to orange comparison. It is far easier to electrify single decker buses, than double deckers. The battery technology has only matured enough to make it an option for double deckers in the past year or two.

Of course, we clearly have problems with the planning process in Ireland and that needs fixing, but this is a relatively small example of it versus the much more serious delays that the likes of Dart+, Metrolink and BusConnects face.

john boye

They also seemed to show a lot of pictures of the hybrids when talking about the electrics not being in service and then immediately showed clips of lots of hybrids in service!