132 Electric Buses Idle Up To 860 Days Amid Charger Shortfall | Season 6 – Episode 41
Wheels May 05, 2026
There is a widely held belief that history repeats itself.
That idea holds as firmly in 2026 as it did forty-seven years ago, when CIE (Ireland’s state-owned public transport holding company) faced difficult decisions in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, which saw prices rise by 400 per cent, followed by a further 100 per cent increase during the 1979 crisis. Today, against a backdrop of renewed geopolitical tension and instability in worldwide oil supply, the cycle has come full circle.
We have returned to electric, with the purchase of 120 StreetDeck Electroliner battery electric double deck buses from Wrightbus in Ballymena, County Antrim, but challenges in bringing new technology into service remain, echoing the difficulties first encountered decades ago.
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SILENT COURIER III
An RTÉ News report on sustainable transport in 1979 noted that CIE was already exploring electric buses in response to rising fuel costs. At the time, there were an estimated 500 to 600 electric vehicles in Ireland, mainly used for milk and bread deliveries.
The RTE report focused on CIÉ testing the Chloride company battery-electric ‘Silent Courier III’. Developed around 1978–1979, the Silent Courier III was a compact midibus built on a Dodge S66 chassis, intended for lighter, more flexible routes than the earlier and much heavier 43-seat Silent Rider.
Only two were midibuses were produced: a demonstrator used in CIÉ trials in 1979 and a near-identical vehicle delivered to Bournemouth Transport for a town centre shuttle service linking shops and car parks.
A CIÉ spokesman noted that a fully electric bus system, such as that presented at the 1976 Düsseldorf Electric Vehicle Symposium, was approximately 30% more expensive than conventional diesel alternatives. He added that the technology had not yet met operational requirements, but confirmed that developments in electric buses would continue to be closely monitored.
Chloride Battery Powered Electric Vehicle ‘Silent Courier III’ Specifications:
Make: Dodge
Model: S66 Electric Midibus
Chassis: Dodge S66 chassis (Dodge 50 series)
Year: 1978
Length: 6.7 m
Weight: Approx. 5.130 kg
Engine: 50 hp (37 kW) compound-wound DC electric motor
Range: 72–88 km
Electric Drive System: transistorised electronic controller regulating motor voltage
Battery Charging Times: full charge in approximately 8 hours
Battery System: 420 Ah lead acid batteries with single point Autofil system
Passenger Capacity: 15 to 22 passengers
NTA TENDER AWARDED
Fast forward to 14 June 2022: following a tender issued in late 2020 under a wider five-year framework for up to 800 zero-emission buses, the National Transport Authority, on behalf of CIÉ, approved the purchase of 120 StreetDeck Electroliner battery-electric double-deck buses from Wrightbus in Ballymena, County Antrim. The NTA plans to convert 85% of Dublin’s bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2032, with full conversion by 2035.
Speaking at the announcement, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: “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”.
Neil Collins, Managing Director of Wrightbus, added: “We are extremely proud of this historic deal, which is hugely significant for Ireland’s decarbonisation ambitions and for us here at Wrightbus.”
STREETDECK ELECTROLINER
When launched in 2022 the Wrightbus press release claimed the StreetDeck Electroliner was the world’s most efficient double deck battery electric bus, costing €16,779 less per year to run than a diesel equivalent over 80,000 km.
CHARGER SHORTFALL
The first of the new electric bus fleet was delivered for testing and driver training in July 2023, with Summerhill depot in Dublin becoming the first to receive bus chargers in November 2023. It is now late spring 2026 and figures provided by the National Transport Authority indicate that 250 Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliners are now in service nationwide.
However, Public Accounts Committee chair John Brady revealed from correspondence with the National Transport Authority showing 85 StreetDeck Electroliners, each costing in the region of €500,000 and intended for Dublin, along with a further 47 for Galway and Limerick, have been completed but cannot yet enter service due to insufficient charging infrastructure.
Of these, 14 have been idle for up to 860 days, or approximately two and a half years. In total, 132 electric buses remain out of public service as a result of delays in installing depot charging facilities.
Speaking on Newstalk, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien acknowledged that the situation was “unsatisfactory”. He said delays had arisen because charging systems at some depots required upgrading, creating a backlog, but added that he expects most of the buses to be in service by the third quarter of the year, with some entering operation as early as June.
In a statement, the Department of Transport said that 16 of the 85 Dublin buses are currently being prepared for delivery and are expected to enter service shortly. The remainder are due to follow in Q3 once new charging infrastructure is installed at the Phibsborough and Harristown depots.
Four buses are also being readied for Galway, with a further 43 scheduled to enter service from the final quarter of the year.
Watch this space!
If you have an idea for a story, please email Kevin Reid [email protected]
Sources of Information, Photo, Video & Music Credits:
All music and sound effects used in Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport are royalty free and are fully licensed through Epidemic Sound. Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport therefore holds the legal right to use this audio material within its productions under the terms of the Epidemic Sound licensing agreement.
AutoTrade Website – James Dixon
Creative Commons Attribution – Cityswift
Dublin Bus | Wright StreetDeck Electroliner (EW23) Route – 122 (08/03/2024) – @IrishTransportMerchant
Dublin Bus Wright StreetDeck Electroliner (EW57) O’Connell Street, Dublin NIS (170524) – @DublinTransportation
Key Buses – Alan Millar
Rare Dublin Bus Wright StreetDeck Electroliner EW22 70 to Dunboyner Littlepace Gallops 132 – AliTheTransportEnthusiast
Sinn Fein website
Streetdeck Bev Electroliner.pdf – Wrighbus
Sustainable Transport 1979 – RTE News
Watt’s happening to Irish buses – Cundall – Jonny Phair
Wrightbus website
